


Splendor Solis

by ghostxforest (nusch)



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, Feelings, Fluff, M/M, PhD student - Loki, PhD student - Thor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-02-04 03:04:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 30,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1763635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nusch/pseuds/ghostxforest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor and Loki are PhD students from opposite sides of campus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor visits the library for more than studying.

The living room filled with the sounds of explosions and machine gun fire punctuated by the hoots and curses of the two men battling each other from the comfort of their beaten down sofa.

 "Oohhhhh," Fandral groaned. "How did you kill me again so quickly?" He tossed his controller to the cushion in disgust.

Thor laughed. "You lose your focus every single time. And then you are easy, easy prey, my friend." He dropped the controller on the coffee table, rose from the couch and began gathering his things to leave, his keys, his phone, his laptop, his...

"And now where are you running off to so soon after your victory? Let's have a beer. Another game. Come on, Thor. Two out of three?"

"Tempting but I am heading to the library. Don't worry. I will happily beat you again tomorrow."

"Hm," Fandral snorted as he opened a beer. "You work too hard."

Thor finished packing his satchel, slung it across his chest and smiled. "Not true. I just know how to balance work and play."

"Well, in the poetry game it's all play." His roommate arched a suggestive eyebrow. "You picked the wrong field."

"Yes. I have noticed that seems to be the case," he chuckled. "See you later maybe?"

He was half way out the front door when he heard Fandral ask, "Why the library and not the lab?"

"The change of scenery is good for my thought process," he replied over his shoulder and stepped out into the crisp day.

 --  
Thor's path to the university's main library took him right through the heart of campus past the sciences classrooms and laboratories to the left, and the arts and humanities classrooms and studios on the right. He nodded hello to a few classmates, on their way to the lab no doubt, and some undergrads he recognized from one of his Elements of Climatology discussion sections. Everywhere he looked he found familiar collegiate scenes: students on bicycles threaded their way around representatives from various campus organizations, brandishing pamphlets and meeting flyers; groups of friends lounged in puddles of sunlight on the manicured lawns; the general bustle of people needing to be places, things to do, projects and assignments to complete, faculty meetings to attend. He loved the energy, the life in every corner.

Fandral's confusion over Thor's destination was not without cause. Indeed, the meteorology labs made much more sense for his PhD research on mesoscale convective systems, but recently he found he could focus better if he put some distance between himself and his colleagues in the department. The competition for prestigious research projects grew more intense by the day as application deadlines loomed. Thor himself had his sights set on next summer's NOAA/NSF pre-doctoral position.

Yes, he found he preferred the anonymity among the humanities crowd in the main library and relished the change of scenery, especially one particular bit of scenery, if he was honest. He first saw him two weeks ago, a tall, lanky silhouette slipping down the staircase that led from the library's main floor to the special collections department below. Thor had no idea what the lower floor held and didn't have the time to investigate that day. Later that week he saw him again, pale and elegant, arrestingly beautiful sharp features, and bright green eyes. This time he came up the stairs and exited the building with nary a glance around or a nod to a single soul. Since that day Thor had watched for him on each return to the library, after a while noting a routine to his comings and goings, though he would never admit to such a thing.

As if conjured by mere thought, the gorgeous stranger appeared ahead of Thor on the path. Today he wore slim cut forest green trousers topped by a well worn leather jacket, the bottom edge of a black shirt peeking below the jacket's hem. His black hair fell straight to the tops of his shoulders, a slight curl at the ends. Thor followed him at a discreet distance, his fingers twitching at the thought of that hair in his hands. When he came back to the present moment, he felt, well, a little creepy, a bit stalkerish. Except today the two men were not just headed to the same building. Today was the day, Thor had decided, that he would venture down the stairs into special collections and see what was really up down there. Maybe he would even finally put a name to the face.

Thor stepped through the library's security gate and walked towards the computer stations surrounding the information desk. He had seen the man head down the stairs as per usual, but decided not to follow right behind him. He collected himself and sat in the only empty carrel. I haven't lost my nerve, he thought. I'm simply giving him time to do whatever it is he needs to do. There's no reason to pounce on him, right? He chuckled and took a deep breath.

Thor did need to get some work done, but did he want to get engrossed in squall lines data and risk missing his chance to finally meet this man? He fussed with his phone for a minute. He watched the students move in and out of the main floor coffee shop. He noticed the librarian at the reference desk which made him wonder if the man was a librarian?

That thought snapped Thor back to his plan. No more wondering. He gathered his satchel and headed towards the stairs to special collections.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki "helps" a curious visitor

A soft wave of relief washed over Loki as he stepped into the department's dim, quiet exhibition space. Instantly, he felt restored by the still room after running the campus gauntlet, every leafy nook teeming with youth, earnestness, and enthusiasm. Without his earbuds to shield him today the walk to work felt especially tedious. He tensed at the mere memory of the drum circle across from the university botanical garden.

Behind the staff-only door he found the offices deserted. All of the librarians and library assistants must be in a meeting he thought. There was always some sort of meeting it seemed.

Loki made his way back to the lockers, stowed his phone and jacket, then checked the desk calendar to confirm his schedule for the day. On his way back to the front he nodded at one of the undergraduate work study students somberly sleeving photographs from some crumbling archive or other. She blinked her acknowledgement in return.

A quick peek into the criminally small reading room revealed another undergrad watching over three patrons immersed in their research. He recognized one as faculty from the history department. Skinner... or was it Stiller? Well, no matter. The other two meant nothing to him.

"Lokiiii. Great. I am ready to see the sun." Skadi smiled at him as she pushed back from the reference desk and relinquished the seat. "It's been very quiet. Not much activity in the reading room and there's some all-staff meeting, but you probably noticed that already. I think I saw cake back there."

Loki rolled his eyes as he swiveled to face the desk computer. "There is always cake."

"Shall I grab you a piece?"

"Of course. Why do you even ask?"

He heard her mock him as she walked away. "Why _do_ I even ask?" She sighed and disappeared into the back.

Alone at the desk finally, he slipped his flash drive into the USB slot and opened a document in progress. With any luck his desk hour would be just as quiet as Skadi's and he could finish some work. But he heard footsteps before too long and looked up to see the rare book librarian walking towards him.

"Hello, Frigga," he said, genuine warmth infusing his voice.

"Hello, Loki. Our meeting is over if you need any assistance and there is a piece of cake waiting for you in my office." She perched gracefully on the corner of the desk and smiled down at him.

"You are splendid. Thank you. Since I have you, I am almost finished with the edits you requested for your collections council report." He swiveled the monitor for her to see his work in progress.

"Wonderful. I so appreciate your help with that. You truly have a gift with words."

Loki smiled in quiet thanks and nodded his head.

"Also," she continued. "I will be here after closing tonight if you would like to stay late and do some research."

"And I appreciate that."

"Well. Come claim your cake when your desk shift is done." She gave the desk two quick, soft taps, a habitual gesture Loki found strangely endearing, and headed back to her office.

While he and Frigga spoke a visitor had entered the gallery. Loki turned towards the entrance to find a muscled blonde dwarfing one of the vitrines. A looky-loo, he thought dismissively and turned back to his work, though he continued to monitor the man's movements as he moved about the space. Within minutes, the blonde stood before him at the desk and Loki looked up into electric blue eyes.

"May I help you with something?" Loki asked, mustering all of the graciousness he possessed in the face of this figure towering over him. My height, he wondered to himself? Maybe taller even?

"Well, I'm not sure exactly. I've never been down to special collections before."

"Do you have questions about the Aldine collection?"

"Uh..."

"Our exhibit. About Aldus Manutius? You were just enjoying it a moment ago." Loki's graciousness was waning quickly as the blonde pulled out a chair and sat before him.

"Oh, the books? Yes. They're...beautiful."

Loki suppressed an eyeroll while he held the blonde's gaze. He let the silence hang between them as he waited for the other man to speak again. Or leave.

"I'm sorry. I'm in the sciences, meteorology actually, so I've never had much need for special collections. I suppose my curiosity finally got the better of me today. Nothing more than that really." The blonde smiled.

Loki started gathering some department literature, a bookmark, the basic information packet, as the blonde continued to stumble through an explanation for his existence in Loki's realm. He reminded Loki of the primitive lions sometimes found in the panels of illuminated manuscripts, shaggy, golden, powerfully masculine, something regal in his bearing, but playful. While he prattled on, Loki nodded politely and feigned interest.

"My name is Thor, by the way." Those piercing blue eyes still met Loki's stare.

"Thor," Loki repeated, barely hiding the sharp edge of condescension in his voice. "Here is some information about special collections if you are interested in learning more. You can also search the collection online for anything we might have related to your studies. Now, if that is all...," he nodded in the direction of another patron, an _actual_ patron, waiting for assistance.

"Oh, of course," Thor said, nodding to the woman waiting by the public computer as he stood to leave. "My apologies."

He turned back to the desk and smiled again, blue eyes intent on Loki. "And what is your name?"

"My name is Loki."

"Loki," he repeated. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

He watched Thor leave the room before turning his attention to the next patron.

                    --

"Loki?" Frigga's voice jarred him out of his book and back into his surroundings. "I'm heading out soon. Ready to leave in fifteen minutes?"

"Yes. Okay. That's fine. I'll start putting everything away," he answered.

He grabbed his phone to take a quick picture of the open page spread, then carefully placed the 17th century text back in it's protective box and returned it to his shelf in the rare book vault. Back in the reading room he stowed the book supports, gathered his notes, and waited for Frigga.

"A good day?" She asked as they walked towards her car. Loki always insisted on walking with her when they stayed after closing though he lived in the opposite direction.

"An interesting day. I'd even go so far as to say a fruitful day," he replied.

"That is what I like to hear." Her car alarm chirped as they approached. "Are you sure I can't drop you at home? It's really no problem."

"No, Frigga, but thank you again for the offer. I actually do enjoy walking through campus after dark."

"Well then good night, Loki. Have a lovely walk. It's a gorgeous moon tonight," she said, looking skyward.

He waited for her to settle into the driver's seat, then watched her car tail lights disappear into the distance. He turned for his walk home, took a slow, deep breath, and closed his eyes. To his surprise, he had a vision of electric blue eyes.

"Hm," he said to the night sky. "Thor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the curious: here's some information about [Aldus Manutius ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldus_Manutius)
> 
> And you can see some of my visual references for the story on my [tumblr ](http://hoardefrost.tumblr.com/): #splendor solis


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is moody and unpredictable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter from Loki's POV but we'll be back in Thor's head next time. Thanks for reading!

Earbuds in, hoodie up, jacket on, a well-armored Loki ventured out into the grey morning drizzle. Today's dreary weather suited his mood perfectly. A string of arguments with his dissertation advisor had dominated his thoughts for the last three days and his work had suffered for it. So had his sleep. Fuck everyone was his current motto, but especially his windbag advisor.

His first priority was a strong dose of caffeine. Since he wasn't in any real rush to get, well, anywhere, he set out on the longer route to campus so he could stop into the only decent coffee place in the neighborhood. The barista recognized him as soon as he crossed the threshold.

"Usual?"

Loki nodded as he fished some bills out of his jeans. While he waited he picked at a small chip in his black nail polish, then peeled the entire skin of polish from the nail in one clean lift. Now he was tempted to grab his triple Americano and head back home to paint his nails. Fuck everything else. But wallowing today wouldn't help anything in the long run.

Coffee in hand, he pushed out into the greyness again with Sigur Ros wailing directly into his brain. The morning dampness seeped through three layers of clothing straight to his marrow, but he never minded a chill. If anyone else was out on the streets he didn't notice as he made his way to the library on veritable auto-pilot, the route etched into his muscle memory.

If Loki had anything like a "happy place", a sentiment he abhorred, the library might be it. Today, however, the sight of the building, its handsome mid-century facade looming large before him, left him numb. But maybe numb was actually an improvement all things considered. Maybe numb was the best place for his mind.

Half way to the elevator, Loki felt someone at his side and turned to see the blonde, Thor. He was smiling at him, saying something. Loki pulled the earbud from his right ear, but didn't adjust the volume. The small, tinny buzz of music drifted out of his hoodie.

"Oh," Thor chuckled. "I didn't see the earbuds." He smiled again. "Thor," he reminded Loki, placing a hand on his broad chest.

"Yes. I remember you." Loki continued on his path to the elevator and Thor continued with him. Why?

"I was going to ask if you'd like to get coffee. But I see you already have some." Thor pointed towards the cup in Loki's hand. 

"Yes." Loki pushed the elevator's up button.

"Maybe some other time?"

"No."

As if on cue the elevator doors opened and Loki stepped inside. He turned around to find the blonde's bright blue eyes considering him quizzically as the doors closed.

"Why?" Loki asked the empty elevator.

\---

One good day's writing and one good night's sleep worked wonders on Loki's mood. When he walked into the special collections processing room and found Skadi smiling comically, holding a large pink bakery box, he laughed out loud.

"Oh my," she exclaimed. "A rare full-hearted Loki laugh!"

"Aww. Be kind. And what is in the box?"

"Doughnuts from Frigga." She opened the box with a flourish to reveal three and a half doughnuts. "Tada."

"She's going to give the entire department diabetes," he said as he picked up a maple bar.

"Well, if we don't drop dead from sugar overload let's have coffee tomorrow. I could use a fresh ear on a potential research idea."

"Hm." He swallowed a bite of doughnut. "Day after tomorrow maybe? After work?"

"Sounds good."

When she headed to the front for her desk shift he grabbed his things from the locker and headed for home.

"Loki."

He had just stepped outside the building when he heard... Thor. He was a breathtaking sight in faded jeans, an untucked grey button down, and a navy blue cardigan. The soft early autumn sunlight hit his golden hair just so. He glowed.

"Thor," Loki said evenly, nodding at the blonde as he continued down the steps.

"Wait up."

Loki slowed but didn't stop. When Thor pulled even with him, he gave him a curious side glance. The blonde gave him a small smile in return. They walked along in silence for a moment.

"Would you like to have coffee with me sometime?" Thor blurted out quickly.

Loki stopped. He turned to face Thor. He understood the question in the literal sense, but was still baffled.

"No," he finally answered. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Thor looked at Loki, an unasked question in his eyes.

"Why?" Loki asked.

"I want to get to know you? Do you not drink coffee?"

Loki chuckled. The blonde's confidence was remarkable.

"I prefer my coffee alone."

"Okay."

Loki thought he heard a note of concern in Thor's soft response before he started on his way again. This time Thor did not follow. When he turned the corner he looked back and found Thor watching him from the path.

\---

Loki claimed a corner table at the coffee shop and waited for Skadi. Though they were both graduate students in the literature department, they hadn't actually met until she started working in special collections. Loki kept his distance from most of the department as a rule, but he had a soft spot for Skadi. It was the closest thing to a friendship that he allowed himself.

He took a sip of his coffee and considered the cafe scene around him while he waited for her to arrive. There was a low hum in the room and activity at every table. Students worked and avoided work. Friends talked. Lovers leaned into each other.

"Hey. Penny for your thoughts." Skadi flopped down across from him and poured a stream of sugar into her cappuccino.

"Well, I am concerned about your sugar intake." He pointed a spoon at her cup.

"Life is too short to be sour."

"Hm," Loki grunted in response. "Tell me what you're working on before all of your teeth fall out."

"Blah. I haven't been working. I've spent the last 36 hours fighting with Njord. The long-distance relationship isn't working so well." She sipped at her steaming drink. "I know." She sighed. "You don't care a thing about my love life."

"It's not that I don't care. I just don't want to hear about it."

"You're a terrible friend."

"And yet here you are."

"I would care about your love life. If you had one." She looked at him over the rim of her coffee cup.

Loki shook his head and rolled his eyes in response. "This is starting to feel like a very short coffee date."

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry. I realize this is a taboo subject." She paused. "But a little life balance is a good thing, Loki."

"So wise," he said sharply. "Balance, you say? It's obviously working so well for you."

She sighed, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I think I found a letter in the archive that no one has ever considered before."

Loki leaned in as Skadi started to talk about her research. Finally.

\---

"Thor." Loki spotted the blonde a few strides ahead of him crossing the quad and quickened his pace ever so slightly to join him. It had been almost a week since their last encounter and Loki had been thinking about him on occasion, much to his frustration.

"Loki," a small note of surprise in his voice. He gave a Loki a bright smile, so warm, so sincere.

"Have you given up caffeine?" Loki arched his eyebrow coyly.

Thor chuckled. "No."

"I see. Just caffeine with me then. You seemed so intent last week. On a mission."

The loveliest husky laugh bubbled up from Thor's chest. Loki couldn't suppress his smile at the sound.

"Loki. I would love to have coffee with you."

"I think I might like that, too, Thor."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coffee and thunderstorms and constellations and ...

Thor was early. He peeked in the cafe window to see if Loki was waiting inside. He recognized a couple faces from classes and some of Fandral's friends, but no Loki. He leaned against the front window, hands in the pockets of his suede jacket, and watched the clouds float by as pedestrians drifted down the tree lined street.

Loki was late. Thor pulled out his phone to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He read through two days of texts filled with schedule coordination, location suggestions, and finally agreement on a plan. The exchange was very matter-of-fact much to Thor's chagrin. Maybe he shouldn't have used any emojis? Or maybe he should have used more?

He looked up just as Loki turned the corner, long legs clad in black pants, a dark cardigan over a white shirt, a grey scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. "Good morning, Thor." Loki's green eyes sparkled with amusement. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Please," he held the cafe door open. "After you."

The coffee shop was busy, but before too long they settled down at a corner table, cozy enough that Thor thought he could feel a hum of energy from Loki's legs.

"Mesoscale...?"

"...convective systems," Thor filled in the words for him. "Basically, I research storm systems of a certain size, bigger than 60 miles but smaller than, well, the eastern seaboard." He smiled. "Specifically, lightning data."

Thor stopped talking and focused on his latte. Loki was difficult to read. He seemed to be listening but he might also be bored to tears. It was so hard to tell. His face betrayed nothing.

"Lightning data?"

"Yes. I'm looking into better early detection systems using first strike lightning data. Can we predict the size of a thunderstorm? The intensity? Increase the forecast window to improve early warning to regions prone to flash flooding?" Thor paused to note the small smile playing at the corner of Loki's mouth.

"Your work saves lives and property? How very noble."

"Well. I also just really like thunderstorms." Thor winked.

"Hm. Noble and romantic." Green eyes flashed across the table quickly.

Loki was close enough now that Thor could drink in the physical details previously lost to distance and movement. A faint, blue vein pulsed in his long neck, especially noticeable when he tilted his head in concentration. A glittery shimmer played over the surface of his black nail polish. Those green eyes watched him intently ...and then Thor realized he was staring openly.

"And you?" He cleared his throat in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. "Tell me about your work."

"I'm in the literature department. Medieval literature."

"Oh! So is my roommate Fandral. Do you know Fandral?"

"Um. Yes." Loki seemed unpleasantly surprised by the question.

"Ah. You're apparently not a fan. I can hear it in your voice."

"No. I don't know Fandral at all really. Our work doesn't intersect. I know very few people in the department. I find it easier that way."

"Easier?"

"Academia is competitive. Friendships complicate things." Thor watched as a polished nail thoughtfully traced the rim of a coffee cup.

"And I was hoping we might become friends."

"Is that what you want, Thor? To be friends?"

Thor felt the heat of a blush rise to his cheeks, confirmed by the glow in Loki's eyes. He wanted to tell him the ridiculous truth that he wanted much more than friendship though they were really no better than strangers. He so wanted to trust his emotional instincts as easily as he trusted his intellectual instincts.

He let Loki's obviously rhetorical question sit between them unanswered. They finished their coffees and talked about more mundane things instead, university life, their jobs. Before Thor knew it, Loki was heading off to the library for work.

"This has been nice, Thor."

"Nice enough to have dinner with me?"

Loki stood up and smiled as he considered his answer. "Text me. And we'll see."

\---

Thor let the morning with Loki settle over him for a minute before he pulled out his laptop to do some work. No reason to give up a prime spot in the cafe, he thought. But he couldn't stop thinking about the slight smile on Loki's lips or the way he touched his collarbone when considering a question. Thor made an impulsive decision and sent Loki a text.

< _let's have dinner soon_ >

He set his phone on the table top and watched the blank screen, willing it to buzz with a reply.

"Fuck," he whispered to himself. "What am I doing?" With a soft chuckle he turned his focus back to the laptop and his work.

< _Ok. When?_ >

< _tonight...?_ > Thor pressed send before he could overthink anything. And then immediately regretted it.

< _Yes._ >

Oh, shit.

\---

Fandral leaned against the kitchen counter eating an unnatural color cereal. He watched his roommate bustle in and out of his bedroom and then in and out of the bathroom and then back into his bedroom. Thor bristled with nervous energy.

"I am exhausted just watching you. What is going on?"

"Do you know Loki? He's in the lit depa- "

"Loki Laufeyson? Yeah. I know him. Why?"

"I'm having dinner with him tonight. That. Is what. Is going. On." Thor took a deep drink from a bottle of water.

Fandral's mouth hung open with naked surprise. "How do you even know Loki Laufeyson?"

"We met at the library." 

"Ahhh. Now the library makes sense. Now it's all clear as day."

"I did go to study, Fandral. Meeting Loki was simply a bonus."

"Heh," Fandral snorted. "I never thought I would hear anyone consider meeting Loki Laufeyson a "bonus".

"Why do you keep saying his name like that? I like him."

"He's a widely acknowledged asshole, Thor."

"Hm," Thor shrugged. "I like him."

"So you keep saying." Fandral put down his cereal bowl and looked at Thor with concern. "Do you know why Loki works in the library? He was fired, practically banned, from being a t.a. because he was so rude to the students. Basically, he scared the poor students. And I'm not talking about freshman either. I'm talking about first year graduate students."

"You're exaggerating." Thor poked his roommate in the chest. "And even if that is true, the library suits him so much better."

"Heaven help us. You really like him." Fandral sighed. "Well, I look forward to hearing all about your dinner with Loki Laufeyson."

\---

"Interested in dessert?"

"Always," Loki purred in response. 

Thor felt a warm buzz from the cocktails and the wine and Loki. Everything about the evening had been perfect from their walk to the restaurant up to this very moment. Loki was sharp, funny, and blindingly sexy. Whatever Fandral was talking about earlier, Thor didn't see it. All he could see was Loki who, to his delight, seemed to be enjoying the evening just as much as Thor.

They lived on opposite sides of campus, so after dinner they walked together to the quad where they would split off on their separate ways. Thor took heart when he realized Loki's leisurely pace matched his own. Apparently he was in no rush to end the evening either.

The clear night sky glittered with constellations despite the city lights. They stopped just outside the quad on a quiet, private path. Loki pointed to the north. "Do you see Cassiopeia? The W just to the left of the bell tower?" Thor followed Loki's slender finger through the air as it traced the constellation's shape. "The vain queen - there she sits forever tied to her chair circling the heavens - the monster whale, Cetus, menacing her throughout eternity."

Thor was thoroughly charmed. "I look at the night sky and see weather. You look and see stories. I like that."

"Ah," Loki turned to him. "But Greek mythology and constellations don't save lives and livelihoods."

"You're mocking my work," Thor took Loki's hand and looked at him coyly through a fringe of blonde lashes.

"Never," Loki whispered in mock protest. "Just your earnestness." A small smile rose to his lips again, soft instead of sharp tonight. That sight already ranked highly on Thor's list of favorite things. He looked down to where their fingers laced together, then up again into Loki's eyes, silver in the shadowy light.

Thor leaned forward with a small hesitation then gently kissed him, wrapping his free hand round the nape of his neck. Loki leaned in, his hand softly brushing Thor's hip. They lingered there, over each other's mouths.

"Goodnight, Thor." Loki brushed each syllable over Thor's lips then pulled back to leave, but Thor wouldn't drop his hand. Not yet.

"I like you, Loki. I want to see you again." Thor sensed that small smile in the darkness.

"Text me." Loki let go of his hand and turned to start home.

Thor quickly pulled out his phone and typed.

_< I like you.>_

He saw Loki's silhouette still in the distance as he read his phone and even thought he heard him laugh. Then Thor's phone buzzed with a new message.

_< It's mutual.> _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the wait! Life interfered and I lost my Thor and Loki for a bit. I'm happy to say they're back with me now. I hope you enjoy! You can see some images from _Splendor Solis_ on my [tumblr](http://hoardefrost.tumblr.com/) #ch5 #Splendor Solis

Loki groaned at the insistent, shrill drone of the alarm. Impossible, no, he thought as he stretched languorously and hooked a foot under Thor's ankle. A soft light crept through the bedroom curtains. "It's too early," he grumbled, burrowing into Thor's side.

Thor turned to kiss his forehead. "It is, but I have to go to work."

Loki burrowed deeper into warm flesh, slipping an arm across Thor's chest. "What self-respecting undergrad has a climatology class at 9 am for fuck's sake?"

He felt a soft rumble in Thor's chest as he chuckled. "I didn't understand a word of that," he said. "But I'm sure you said something very supportive." Who chuckles at this ungodly hour, Loki thought.

The mattress dipped as Thor pushed back the sheets and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Loki opened an eye and surveyed Thor's body as he sat up and stretched towards the ceiling, muscles shifting beneath the network of scratches tattooing his broad, muscled back. The different widths and hues a visceral timeline of their trysts. Mine, Loki thought. His morning-hard cock twitched at the memories of last night. Before long he was rewarded with a view of Thor's sculpted ass and a bite mark on one glorious cheek, his bite mark.

"Mine," he growled aloud this time, reaching an arm out into the chilled morning air to skim his fingertips over the darkening bruise.

"Yes," Thor turned to him purring, a soft smile on his face. Loki looked him over with hooded eyes as he slipped into his robe.

"Hmm. Your color looks off. Are you feeling alright?" Thor stopped. Loki saw a small laugh lift his shoulders. "I think you should call in sick, Thor. Get a sub today," he continued. "Come back to bed." He lifted the sheets in a not-so-subtle invitation for Thor to crawl back under with him.

"Lokiiiii. No." He turned back towards the bed. "Every morning you try to coax me back. I do want to." Loki watched Thor's eyes sweep over his naked body under the lifted sheet, lingering over his stiff cock. "I really do," he sighed.  "But no. Work first. You later." Thor winked.

With a huff of defeat Loki dropped his arm dramatically. Thor chuckled again as he knotted his robe and headed for the shower. Aggravated now, Loki slipped his hand below the sheet to take care of his own need. He rolled his eyes at the sound of Thor whistling merrily down the hallway as he clutched his cock in his dry fist, lube too far to easily reach. Squeezing hard, he slipped the foreskin up and down, up and down twisting in diminishing circles as he chased his orgasm. He swiped the first drop of pre-come from the slit and continued pulling roughly until the dripping head gave way to thick arcs of come spurting onto his belly and chest, the sound of Thor singing in the shower in the distance.

It had been just over three weeks since their first date. Much to his own surprise Loki did not play hard to get after that dinner. Thor texted him throughout the night and Loki responded, quickly, joyfully, uncharacteristically so. Thor started texting him bright and early the next morning and continued all day until they met for dinner again that night. They had seen each other almost every day since with Loki gradually spending more and more nights at Thor's house as the weeks passed. He blamed it on Thor's charm and nauseating sincerity. And his shoulders. And those blue eyes. And the kisses, too.

He had never fallen for anyone so quickly. He was beginning to wonder if he had ever really truly fallen in love with anyone before. His past lovers felt like base lust in comparison to what he felt now in Thor's bed as he cleaned a thick pool of come from his belly while that gorgeous fool sang in the shower. His fool. His sweet, gorgeous fool.

***

"How is your _Ambix_ article coming along?" Frigga and Loki sat in the staff break room eating the last pieces of the apple pie she had brought for an earlier meeting.

Loki exhaled softly thinking about how he had not made much progress on his article for the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry journal in the last three weeks. His submission in progress pulled directly from his dissertation research on one of the parables in _Splendor Solis_ , a seminal 16th century alchemical text, a masterpiece of illuminated miniatures that had captivated Loki when first studying it in a history of science course as an undergraduate. Though Loki was enrolled in the literature department, his PhD research was truly interdisciplinary, a mix of medieval literature, history of science, and art history.

"It's incredibly beautiful. And so very odd," Thor remarked the first time Loki showed him the library's facsimile copy. "Solis. Is it about the sun?"

"Not exactly," Loki responded. "It's about the alchemical process, transmutation of base matter into something sublime, gold, in the material sense. Enlightenment, earthly transcendence, in the spiritual sense. It's a complex puzzle of metaphors, literary and visual. The iconography is...intoxicating. The birds..." Loki turned a few more pages, losing himself in the images before he looked up to find Thor smiling at him, delight shining in his eyes.

"Loki?" Frigga's voice brought him back to the moment, to the break room, and the pie. "I am happy to read it over before you send it in," she said.

"Thank you, Frigga. I am still working on it. But I would be grateful for your thoughts when I've finished."

"Of course. To say that I am looking forward to reading it would be an understatement. I find your subject so fascinating. I'm learning a great deal about alchemy thanks to you." She softly tapped the formica twice and pushed back from the table. "I am staying late tonight if you need to do some work after closing."

"Oh. I have plans tonight." He gathered their plates and cutlery while Frigga cleaned and packed away her pie plate. "But thank you for the offer. And the pie."

She leaned against the counter and smiled.

"What, Frigga?" His eyes narrowed.

"You've never turned down an offer to stay late and work in all the time you've been here. Forgive me for overstepping my bounds, but it's good Loki. I like seeing you so...happy," she said.

Loki felt the warmth of a blush rise over his face. "Yes. Well." His eyes dropped to the floor as a small smile lifted at his mouth.

"And he is quite handsome, your Thor." She was already walking through the break room door and down the hall when he looked up again, mouth opened in surprise.

***

Loki found Thor hunched over his laptop in a carrel on the second floor of the library. His hair was pulled back at the nape in a loose, messy bun, stray golden strands brushing his chin, his profile illuminated by the light of his laptop screen. A pile of printouts, mostly graphs and a few colorful satellite images, cluttered the desktop. Loki found his concentration incredibly sexy. Thor was committed to his work, to his research, to his field. It made Loki hot just thinking about it. He felt warmth pooling in his crotch at the vision before him.

He slipped a hand around Thor's neck and squeezed gently as he leaned in to whisper. "Close it down. And don't forget to save your work, Borson." He punctuated the command with a nip at his earlobe.

"Yes, Mr. Laufeyson. Of course, Mr. Laufeyson." Thor answered with mock obedience as he shuffled a stack of papers into his satchel and stowed his laptop. As he packed, Loki marked a couple curious eyes on them, but they quickly returned to their own screens and pages under Loki's glare.

"Shall we?" Thor's hand moved to the small of his back and he felt a soft kiss on his cheek.

Outside the first stars of the evening twinkled in the darkening sky as they started their trek across campus to Thor's place. They dodged students and faculty criss-crossing the grounds on their way to dinner, meetings, evening classes. Everyone was bundled tightly against the deepening bite of the autumn night air.

Loki looked over at Thor snugly wrapped in a red scarf, his hair now free from the bun and cascading past his shoulders. He shivered, not from the cold, but from the memory of his hands tugging at that golden mane while Thor swallowed his cock down to the hilt, tears gathering in those electric blue eyes as Loki thrust into his mouth, warm, wet, open for him.

Thor brushed against his shoulder softly and took his hand, lacing his warm fingers with Loki's. "What are you thinking about?"

"Dinner." Loki arched an eyebrow mischievously. "Before or after?"

"Before or after what, Loki?"

"Well, if I have to tell you then I might as well turn around and go home," he sighed dramatically, moving to drop Thor's hand.

"Teasing," Thor chuckled, giving Loki's hand a squeeze.

"Oh, Thor. But I'm the tease in this relationship. Let's never forget that."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweet surprises. Flowers, food, lightning.

"Heeeey, Thor. Loki." Fandral was pulling on a jacket as they walked through the front door. "Just heading out for the evening. What have you two got planned? Wait." He raised his hand and cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe I don't want to know."

"Very funny, man." Thor dropped his satchel to the floor. He could feel Loki behind him, glowering at his roommate, no love lost between the two. "Loki is making me dinner." He turned to smile at Loki, his suspicions confirmed by the icy disdain for Fandral written all over his face.

"That sounds nice. I hope you have a lovely evening. Don't wait up for me." Fandral waggled his eyebrows and sauntered out the door.

"Loki," Thor exhaled, shedding his scarf and jacket. "It's not like I'm asking you to be friends with Fandral, but you could make some small effort. A simple hello?"

"I'm not here for that idiot." Loki pulled his scarf from his neck slowly, the iciness transforming into a smolder as Thor pulled him close. He pushed the leather jacket from Loki's shoulders, kissing him softly under his ear. "Such a sharp tongue," he whispered.

"Which I do believe you enjoy." Loki brought Thor's hand to his mouth, holding his gaze as he sucked in two fingers.

"Fuck, Loki," Thor hissed. "Dinner after. Dinner. After."  
Loki hollowed his cheeks, running his tongue teasingly under Thor's fingers, before slowly releasing them. "No. I think dinner first. You are going to need fuel."

Thor grabbed him as he moved to turn, pressing their mouths together roughly, his tongue slipping through Loki's welcoming lips. He walked Loki backwards through the living room, nearly stumbling over his discarded jacket on the floor. Loki pulled back slightly to catch his breath. "Oh, Thor. You get so rough when you're impatient. I love it." He leaned in and pulled Thor's bottom lip between his teeth. "Did you get everything on the list?"

"Hm. Yes." He kept Loki close, exhaling into his neck. "I got everything on your very detailed list."

"And you will be well rewarded."

Thor held tight to Loki's hand as he headed toward the kitchen. "You're amazing, Loki." Loki turned back to him, that delicious small smile his only reply.

Loki's love of cooking came as a surprise to Thor, though he had quickly realized over their first few dates that Loki knew about food, a lot about food, and even more about wine. But it was the morning after their first night together that Thor experienced Loki's cooking. Clad only in boxers and his favorite hoodie, Loki moved through Thor's poorly appointed kitchen, green eyes flashing with a low opinion of the knives, the pans, the lack of spices. "Thor, there is more to life than salt, pepper, and ketchup," Loki smirked.

After perfectly poached eggs and rosemary potatoes, simple but incredibly delicious, Thor fucked Loki hard against the kitchen sink, clean dishes rattling in the drying rack with every  
thrust. He had never been so grateful that Fandral preferred staying over with whichever coed he was bedding this week.

They struck a deal then. Thor would do all of the grocery shopping whenever Loki wanted to stay in and cook. Loki's first shopping list the next day delivered a second surprise, his handwriting was exquisite, artful. Loki took up calligraphy, he explained, after diving deep into paleography, the study of ancient and medieval handwriting, in graduate school. "It must seem indulgent, but it's important to me," he told Thor over dessert one evening. "These seemingly little things, the paper, the tools, hand ground ink, the care, the artistry, these are things, I believe, should be cultivated, preserved. Modern western society would strip life of all its beauty, its magic, if we let it." Since that day Thor kept every shopping list and handwritten note from Loki safely tucked away in a desk drawer.

"Thor." Loki called to him from the kitchen. "I don't remember putting these on the list." He turned around with an armful of calla lilies, amusement dancing in his green eyes. He looked stunning, dressed head-to-toe in his preferred black, the graceful stems cradled in his arms. A black-polished nail absently stroked a white bloom.

"They reminded me of you. Beautiful, pale, impossibly elegant." Both men blushed under the other's steady gaze.

When Loki cooked, Thor hung to the edges of the kitchen, cutting vegetables if asked, pouring wine when requested, mostly telling Loki stories from the day, his research, the students, department intrigue. If Loki really cared, Thor couldn't tell. He had come to trust that Loki would let him know in no uncertain terms if he was bored, displeased, or aggravated in any way, shape, or form, whether over text, at dinner, or in bed. Thor's urge to please him was unflaggingly strong.

Whether Loki was completely honest with Thor was another issue altogether. Thor had yet to visit his apartment, or house, or condo, whatever it might be. He only had a vague sense that Loki lived on the northern side of campus near the coffee shop they had met at a few times, but the location of his home had never been explicitly confirmed or denied. Thor did trust his feelings for Loki, however, and they grew deeper with every passing day.

Thor moved behind him, hands softly squeezing his slim hips as he rested his chin on Loki's shoulder. The aroma of shallots simmering in wine and stock enveloped him as he nuzzled into Loki's neck. "If you distract me and this sauce burns..." Loki waved a wooden spoon in playful warning.

"I will joyfully eat it anyway." Thor nibbled on an earlobe.

"You're impossible."

"You're delicious."

"Thor. Go set the table."

***

Balsamic glazed pork chops, dijon braised brussel sprouts, long grain rice, a bottle of burgundy, pears poached in red wine, Loki. Thor couldn't be happier. He hadn't ever dreamt he could feel this level of happiness. He could possibly be the biggest fool. But he didn't care much in this moment as he peppered Loki's chest with kisses, sucking a nipple between his teeth as Loki arched underneath him.

"Loki, let's go to the Lightning Field this summer." He trailed his tongue down Loki's chest and dipped into his belly button. Loki moaned softly, fingers wrapped in Thor's hair.

"You and me in a cabin," he whispered, mouth ghosting over wiry, black curls. Loki's stiff cock rubbed against his cheek leaving a trail of wetness in his beard.

"In the New Mexico desert. You and me. Waiting for lightning to strike." Thor licked a broad stripe up the underside of Loki's shaft, swirling his tongue around the head sloppily before dipping into the slit. Loki's hips bucked against Thor's firm grip as he began to suck on the head.

"Thor, just..." Loki gasped. He yanked on handfuls of Thor's hair. His whole body tensed and lengthened, as Thor's head bobbed, mouth full of throbbing cock. His eyes fluttered open to watch Loki's long, luminous neck stretch towards the headboard with want. Thor's want. Loki's want. Want.

He popped up from between Loki's legs and rolled over until Loki blanketed him, all long limbs and sharp angles undulating against Thor. "You, Loki. I need you." He spread open his muscled thighs as wide as he could. Hooded green eyes sparkled down at him through a tumble of long black hair.

Loki's mouth lifted at one corner. "Lube." Thor felt the tickle of a finger brushing circles over his perineum, teasing around his hole, gently scratching up again, then nudging softly under his sac. Thor reached out blindly for the lube, fumbling over phones and change and miscellanea cluttering the bedside table.

He squeezed an ample dollop into Loki's waiting palm, anticipating the initial chill that would be quickly forgotten as Loki worked him open. One finger, then two, the stretch a delicious progression from discomfort to pleasure.

"Oh, Thor. How I love you like this. Open. Wanting." Loki licked playfully at a pert nipple and pushed a third finger in past the tight ring of muscle, relishing Thor's hiss changing to moans as he pulled and pressed his hand in and out.

"Loki. Lokilokiloki. Yeeeesss." Thor slipped a hand under Loki's armpit tugging him face to face.

"Yes. Thor. Sweetheart. Yes."

He felt the thick head of Loki's cock, then a pause before he pushed all the way in to the hilt with a deliriously dirty grunt. Thor's own dick twitched and leaked hotly on his belly as he inhaled deeply. Soft kisses grew fevered, insistent. When sharp green eyes met his, he blinked back with permission.

Loki started rocking at a lazy pace, pulling almost completely out then sinking back in deep, over and over again. He pushed Thor's knees up deepening his angle and picking up the pace.

"There Loki. There. Shit. Yes. Loki there." Sparks burst behind his eyelids as Loki hit Thor's prostate. With eyes closed he relished the slap of their bodies while they moved closer and closer to their edges.

Loki took Thor's cock in hand, squeezing and pumping with the small twist he knew he liked. He felt the tension in his balls  build uncomfortably as Loki moved above him, in him. The tightness in his belly snapped. He grabbed Loki's shoulders roughly as his orgasm hit, sinking his fingers into the sinewy muscles above him, sure to leave a mark he would relish in the morning.

Loki stilled as Thor clenched around him. He pumped Thor through his dying shivers and spurts, streaks of cum on his glistening chest. His own finish was soon to follow. A few strokes in and Thor felt Loki shudder to completion. His lips parted in relief, Loki nuzzled into Thor's neck, hands twisting in his golden locks.

"Yes, Thor. Yes to the lightning. Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Lightning Field by Walter de Maria](http://www.diaart.org/sites/main/lightningfield) is very cool.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insomnia clouds Loki's judgment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So so so so so sorry for the wait. Life has finally settled down post-relocation and this story is back on track.

Bloodshot eyes and dark circles stared back from the mirror. Loki sighed. Restless nights and nightmares were becoming the norm of late, darkening his naturally dark mood. It had been close to a week since he'd gotten a full night's sleep and not just for the satisfying, sweaty reasons. 

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and turned from the mirror. A day of inane reference questions loomed before he could dive back into his own research, much like every other day of late. At least today he was spared the aggravation of an advisor meeting. _As if that charlatan ever had any worthwhile scholarly advice_ , he grumbled inwardly. 

An appropriately somber sky greeted him as he slid down the icy walkway from his apartment to navigate the treacherously slick streets. He was running much later than usual, yet another aggravation on top of aggravations. No leisurely plotting and musing over coffee this morning. He didn’t even slow as his phone buzzed away in his pocket. It was Thor no doubt checking in since Loki hadn’t responded to any of his texts this morning. He dipped an ungloved hand in his pocket as soon as the voicemail alert chirped.

Thor’s voice unfurled warmly in his ears. “Could you still be sleeping? I do like that image though you might be late for work.” There’s a pause and a sigh. “I missed you last night. But I did have a breakthrough in the lab that I’ll bore you with later. Yes? Tonight?”

He ducked under an archway to text a response, unable to squash the ghost of a smile on his lips. _Sorry. Running late. But yes on later. Find me in the library._

***

"Can you not be happy for more than one week at a time? Only you would be miserable even when you're in love. Why am I surprised? Wait, I’m not surprised."

"And who says I'm in love?" Loki teasingly nudged the sugar out of Skadi's reach with a gentle push of a finger. She had found him huddled in the library cafe, elbow to elbow with stressed out students escaping the brutal winter weather and avoiding their studies.

"You're not in love?" She huffed incredulously, eyebrows raised.

"I haven't even thought about it,” he demurred. “Yes. Things with Thor are good. Why complicate it with any labels?" He sipped his Americano as the memory of their "monthaversary" dinner the week before floated to his mind. Thor had insisted on celebrating and even cooking and would hear no protests from Loki about any part of it, including the term "monthaversary", which Loki found utterly loathsome. Over salad, pasta, and cannoli from Loki's favorite bakery, the l-word hovered on Thor's lips, but never fell. And Loki was so grateful for that. His own feelings for Thor, well... he did his best to not look at them too closely. Any amorous admission from Thor would make his own recalcitrance less comfortable, less manageable. He preferred this feigned ambivalence over ardor. Though in the rare moments of honest self-reflection he knew what he felt. In truth, a dull ache took root whenever he considered the possibility of a summer apart from Thor if he won that fellowship. It would be best to not open up that potential wound.

"So why do you look like hell warmed over then?"

"Oh, thank you for that frank assessment. What _a friend_ you are," he sneered. But he did look like crap and he knew it. Over the last week each sleepless night compounded his mounting exhaustion. And after another long wakeful night in his own bed he couldn't even blame his insomnia on Thor's roommate, or Thor's mattress, or Thor's body. Instead of nuzzling into a breathing mountain of blonde muscle he had listened to his damn cat snore softly on his pillow as he tried to solve the problem that was his own mind apparently.

"I've made slow progress in my research and that article deadline looms," he continued with matter-of-factness. "It's simply stress. I need to refocus."

"Are you asking me or are you telling me? Because you don't sound convinced by that assessment, Laufeyson." She poked his leather clad arm and scowled playfully before heading out for her desk shift. Loki downed his final sip of lukewarm, bitter espresso, lifted his hood, and followed her downstairs.

…

That evening Blonde Redhead swirled in his earbuds as he skimmed his current article draft, but his mind wasn't on the writing or the music. Instead his head bounced to visions of Thor, hunched over his laptop working graphic magic from weather data then to lazy mornings in bed twisting silky strands of blonde hair into tiny plaits amongst other activities. Thor turned to him, a sweet sparkle in his eye, and whispered. "Your thesis for plate 15 is uninspired. I'm disappointed. Where is your mind of late Laufeyson?"

Loki woke with a start to a hand curving round his neck warmly. He had fallen asleep. Had been dreaming. It was his advisor's insipid voice issuing from Thor's beautiful lips. A travesty, he thought. 

"I think you need coffee, gorgeous," Thor chuckled. "Come on. It's snowing. Let's get some fresh air and a jolt of caffeine."

Their boots crunched through scattered patches of ice, snow fluttering softly onto the naked branches above. Loki loved this time of year, this type of weather. He glanced over to Thor deep in his own thoughts, a soft smile on his lips. There were blessedly few people on the street.

Thor linked their gloved hands. "Can I help with anything?" 

"Hmmm," Loki sighed. "Help with what?"

"With whatever is causing those black circles under your eyes." Thor tugged him closer, moving to wrap an arm around him but Loki quickly huffed him off.

"It's just the Ambix article. I need to buckle down. I should be spending more time writing, less time..." He waved a hand dismissively, disturbing snowflakes in his wake.

"I'm happy to stay at your place, Loki. Whenever you want. If that would help you."

Loki walked on in silence.

"You know we've never once stayed there,” Thor continued. “I've never even been --"

"It's not the place, Thor," Loki interrupted unable to hide the edge of frustration in his voice. "In fact, I think it's the opposite. The problem is solitude. Not a change of venue."

Thor slowed to a stop and exhaled.

"Loki. It's okay to tell me you need some space to get some work done. I can handle it. I'm a big boy." Thor's own frustration began to show. Loki knew he was under his own mountain of stress with research, teaching, and the summer fellowship application. And most likely he now added Loki to his list of worries. The desire to reach for his warm, sweet lover and his need for distance warred within his chest. Is that really what he wanted? Did he want less time with Thor? Did he want his own, empty bed? No. He didn't. He melted ever so slightly before recovering a bit of frost because he also didn’t want to care so much about the man standing before him with confusion in his eyes and a single snowflake melting on his nose. Then he lied.

"For now at least. I need some space for now."

"Ok. That’s ok." Thor stepped to him and took his hands again. "I could probably use the same. I have got to wrap up this application if I have any chance at that fellowship this summer. And the kids are especially needy this semester..."

Thor started off again towards the cafe, venting about lazy sophomores. Loki heard every third word, coldness seeping through every layer of clothing and skin into his very bones. Impulse struck and he grabbed for Thor to pull him into a kiss, taking his lower lip between his own and sucking greedily. They leaned into each other as Thor wrapped his arms around his chilled body, their combined body heat a welcome buffer from the biting night air. If Thor was at all surprised by Loki’s sudden burst of affection, he didn’t let on. Instead he met and raised Loki’s heated kisses until both were left panting.

“Fool,” Loki puffed when they broke apart.

Thor chuckled, eyebrows raising into his knitted cap with amusement. “Me or you?”

 _Excellent question_ , Loki thought as they continued on.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confusion and confrontation. (Oy.)

"You are really hitting your research hard lately," Sif said. "I didn't realize just how much you wanted that fellowship."

Thor didn't even look up from his work to answer. "Yeah. I do," he sighed, no enthusiasm behind his response. He closed a window on his desktop. Opened another. Closed it, too. Then stared at the screen.

"I know you didn't ask for any, but I'm going to offer some advice anyway. Pace yourself. You're looking a little worn around the edges. Spend some time with that guy you've been secretly slipping around with."

Thor sighed again as he turned to face Sif. He warmed at the genuine concern he found in her eyes. She was one of his closest friends in the program, their research complemented each other's while not being directly competitive. Over the years they made sure they didn’t take themselves too seriously or slack too much on their projects. Thor realized he hadn't seen much of her, or any of his friends lately. He missed her easy camaraderie. And the fact that she didn't even know Loki's name spoke volumes. 

"You mean Loki," he smiled. "He's busy with his own research right now, so there hasn't been too much "slipping around" lately." He rubbed his eyes and exhaled wearily. 

Sif pulled over one of the rickety fiberglass lab chairs. Thor winced at the screech of metal against the worn tile floor. 

"That sucks,” she said.  “You know what they say about all work and no play..." 

"It does suck. It really really sucks. I need the play! I do!" He rubbed his face and snorted with frustration. "But it'll be fine. I am getting a lot of work done.” He tapped at the keyboard distractedly. “He's getting a lot of work done.”  _tap, tap, tap_ “There will still be play. There will.”  _TAP. TAP. TAP._  “When we’re done with..." He trailed off, surprised and a tad embarrassed by the outburst. Apparently, he had been holding stuff in. Hm. He grinned shyly at Sif’s unsuccessful attempt to hide her surprise. They both burst into laughter simultaneously.

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I might be a bit of a mess right now.”

“I have an idea.” Sif bounced out of her seat and held her hand out to Thor. “Let’s pack up and go out. Have some beers. Shake off the lab and blow off some steam. I’ll text Fandral to meet us. It’s been way too long, Thor. Way too long.”

He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath before answering.

“Yes. Yesyesyesyes. Yes.”

 

***

“Can we…?” Thor pointed at an empty chair at the table next to them.

“Oh, yeah. Sure. We don’t need it.” The girl yelled over the blaring jukebox and the general cacophony of the gathered mob. Thor recognized her from one his discussion sessions. 

“Thank you.” He smiled. She smiled back. He heard her friend giggle and some whispering as he turned away.

“Man,” Fandral shook his head as Thor dropped into the chair. Sif was wading her way through the mass of bodies crowded into the pub. Thor could see her pontytail swaying as she elbowed into a place at the bar. He followed Fandral’s gaze back to the table with the two girls.

“Oh, Fandral. No. She is way too young for you.”

“Not for me, Thor. For you! She can’t take her eyes off you.”

“Well, she is also way too young for me. And in one of my classes. And Loki.”

“Oooh, are we gonna talk about your luvah?” Sif returned with three mugs and a dangerously full pitcher of beer. Fandral started pouring and passing as she squeezed into the booth. 

“Are we?” Fandral asked, a pained note in his voice. “We will definitely need more beer in that case.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Thor rolled his eyes at Fandral.

“Ooookay,” Sif said. “Since you two seem to have love all figured out I could use some advice. I think Phil and I are over, but I’m not one hundred percent sure. What if we’re just going through one of those phases...” 

Thor nodded as Sif shared her confusion over her own relationship, but he wasn’t really listening. He was confused, too. He was worried about his own relationship. How could he give his friend any advice about hers? He missed Loki. But here he sat in an impossibly loud bar, physically with two of his closest friends, but mentally miles away.

“Not helpful, Fandral.”  Sif flicked a beer nut at him, hitting his beer mug with a dull ping.

“I’ve just always thought you could do a lot better.” Fandral shrugged with mock innocence.

“Thor, please be the voice of sanity here. What do you think?” He looked across the table to find his friends watching him expectantly.

He sighed.

“I’m sorry, Sif. I wish I had something to tell you but I am just as confused as you, I guess.” He downed the dregs of his beer and drained the last drops from the pitcher.

“I’m up,” Fandral said and made his way to the bar.

“Thor.” Sif reached across the table and took his hand. “What is going on?”

“I think I’m in love with Loki,” he huffed. “Scratch that. I know I’m in love him. And I think he’s in love with me, too. I just don’t understand why he’s keeping me at a distance all of sudden. Why is he backing away from me now?”

Fandral returned, slipped into the booth quietly, and refilled everyone’s mugs. 

Thor continued. “I’m trying to think if I’ve done something to make him not trust me. Then when I really think about it it’s funny that I’ve never been to his place. We are always at my place. I don’t even know his exact address. He never talks about his family. Is he hiding something from me? Did I get too close?” He stopped suddenly, that embarrassed feeling from earlier washed over him. “So, as you can probably tell, I am not the best source for relationship advice.”

“Thor. Loki has the snobbish reputation he has for a reason. He’s not an easy guy to be with in any sense. I'm not that surprised by this to be honest. Sorry,” Fandral said with a shrug. Thor just snorted in response.

“Well, I don’t know him or his reputation,” Sif shot a pointed look at Fandral. “But have you talked to him about this? Have you asked him if you've done something to upset him?” 

"You think I should just be an adult and treat like an adult, too? Oof. The sanity."

"Terrible idea," Fandral stage whispered. 

"Oh, shut up, Fan!" Sif turned her back on him. "Yeah. You be an adult and I will be an adult, too. We can do it."

Thor wasn't as sure about that last part. But he knew something had to change. 

...

_*Hey. Just back home.*_

_*Hey. Meet for dinner?*_

Thor chewed at his raggedy thumbnail while he waited for Loki’s reply. He had left two voicemails and three texts since talking with Sif and Fandral. If he was confused before, now he was worried. Loki had replied to one voicemail with another voicemail, but ignored the texts until now. He was obviously avoiding Thor and he wanted to know why.

_*Deep into some good writing. Skype instead?*_

_What the fuck?_ _Skype?_ Thor didn’t like it but it was better than texting or talking over the phone. At least he could do his best to read Loki if he could see him.

_*Sure. Call whenever you're ready.*_

A few minutes later, his laptop pinged with a Skype alert from Loki. Thor took a deep breath as he opened the window. The nerves he felt tonight were so different from the nerves he felt waiting for Loki for their first coffee date not so long ago. And the contrast made him sad. How had something so seemingly good devolved into something so tenuous. Was he really a big fool? 

“Hello, darling. I miss you,” Loki purred. He was all eyes and cheekbones and exposed neck glowing out from Thor’s laptop. His heart fluttered.  _Dammit_ . In the background he could see a glimmer of copper pans suspended from a hanging rack. And a … cat? He was finally seeing a bit of Loki’s home and apparently he had a cat.  _How did I not know about a cat?_

“I miss you. Is that a cat?”

Loki giggled. 

“Yes. He probably knows more about you than you do about him since I am usually covered in your scent when I get home.”

“Hm. I miss you.”  

“Yes. Yes. I…” Loki stopped and swallowed the thought he was about to share. He looked down, his lashes a fan of shadows against his cheek. “How goes your work?”

“My work? Um. Fine.” Thor looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath.

“Thor is everything okay?” Loki had moved closer to the camera, so close that Thor imagined he could feel the warmth under the v-neck sweater. 

“No. It’s really not.” Thor chuckled through his nerves. “I don’t understand what’s going on. Are you mad at me? Have I done something to hurt you? Something isn’t right, but I don’t know what that might be. Everything seemed to be so good, so great, and then all of a sudden you’re not answering my texts and we’re  _skyping_ ?” He took another deep breath. “Sorry. It seems once I start unloading I can’t stop lately.” 

Loki had pulled back from his laptop. Green eyes still glimmered back at Thor, but the earlier spark of mischief had disappeared. Though he didn’t look concerned, instead he looked … removed.

“I miss you, Loki. And I’m worried about whatever is going on with you, with us.”

“Well,” Loki sighed softly. “Thor, I miss you, too. I do. But it’s only been...what ...a week?”

“Ten days,” Thor corrected.

“Ok. Ten days. And now I am concerned by this reaction considering you are potentially leaving for  _two months_ if you get your summer fellowship. How will we make it through that if we make to the summer at all?

“What? No. Loki this is about now not about something in the future that might not even happen. We’re only just together and we should be inseparable. At least, that’s what I want and … well. Yeah. Maybe I’m being a fool.” He rubbed his face, suddenly he was overcome with a need to sleep for days.

“We’re not teenagers, Thor. We’re grown men with deadlines and burdens.” Loki huffed.

“Oh, come on. I know that. Of course I do. And I also know when something doesn’t feel right and this,” he gestured back and forth, “this doesn’t feel right. Does it to you? Honestly?” 

“Thor, I told you I needed some space to get some work done and that is all this is. That’s all.”

“Well, I don’t think this is enough for me.” Thor covered his face. The glow of the laptop felt harshly bright.

“Are you breaking up with me?” Loki’s voice came through the speakers soft and small.

“I don’t think so. No. I’m not really sure about anything right now. But...no?” 

Silence. Thor could just hear the faint whisper of music in the background, one of the wistful, haunting melodies Loki favored no doubt. 

“Well this isn’t going as I expected at all.” Loki looked past the camera into a living space that Thor could only imagine.

“What were you expecting?”

“I thought we would flirt and coo and maybe have skype sex.” Loki frowned.

“Ha! No, Loki. Not tonight.”

“And what about tomorrow night?” Thor recognized that gleam in Loki’s eye, the playful spark he adored and craved. But tonight it wasn’t enough. 

“Have you heard anything I said tonight, Lo?”

“Yes. You said you miss me and want to see me more.” Loki grinned.

“I thought I said a lot more, asked a lot more.” Thor sighed.

“Thor…”

“I think I need to go. Goodnight, Loki.”

  
Loki stared at his laptop. Numb.


	9. Chapter 9

“Fuck.” Loki sucked at the fresh cut on his middle finger, right at the knuckle, so it would smart every time he bent his finger. He was exceptionally good with knives, so this rarely happened.  And since he kept his knives sharp, the cut was clean and bled profusely. He quickly tossed the brussel sprouts into the oil and padded towards the bathroom, still sucking to ease the sting and catch the blood. Tycho Brahe nearly tripped him as he left the kitchen, intent on making his presence known lest someone forget his dinner.

"Fuck cat! What would you do for food if I broke my neck? You would not survive on my bitter bones, you little ghoul.” He sighed. “And no one would miss me enough to check in."

Loki almost laughed at his own comical grumpiness. He knew he was a beast to be around lately. Even gracious, generous Frigga cut him a wide berth at work. He spoke when spoken to and nothing more than that. He walked through the day with hoodie up and earbuds in, an aural shield from the world around him.  

Finger bandaged he returned to the kitchen to just rescue the sprouts from burning. He leaned against the butcher block island while he waited for the timer to sound and the fish to be done. Tycho Brahe slinked around and through his legs. Loki sighed at the little black beast and sipped his wine. He missed Thor.

_ding_

He checked his phone for a text as he settled at the table to eat. But there was nothing. There had been nothing since last night. Over the last five days Thor's texts had dwindled from a few a day to a couple to nothing in 36 hours. In response Loki's mood swung from indignant to inconsolable, sometimes within a five minute span.

They had not broken up. Loki kept reminding himself of that simple but important fact. Thor was giving him what he had asked for, space. Loki tried to focus on that point but worry gnawed at him since Thor was now obviously taking space for himself as well. And Loki didn't like that. He wanted to find his lock screen full of pleading messages that he could respond to or ignore as he wished. Now instead he worried that Thor would realize he could be fine without him. He worried that Thor would find that he didn't want Loki, didn't need him. That the last couple months had been fun, but in the final analysis Loki wasn’t worth the trouble.

Thirty-six hours without a message of any kind. _This is not what I wanted._

***

Loki settled down to write after dinner, a third glass of wine in his hand. The fire he had made earlier in the evening crackled gently. Without another log it would soon sputter out but he made no move to leave his chair. The rumble of the refrigerator stopped abruptly leaving the house so silent he could hear the cat lapping at his water dish and his neighbors washing their dishes.

He stared at his laptop. Then checked his phone. Nothing.

_{Thinking about you. Hope you had a good day. I miss you.}_ He paused before he hit send. He deleted the last three words. Then tapped them out again with a sigh.

_swoosh_

It was after 9 o’clock and he briefly considered crawling into bed with a novel. Instead he straightened, took a deep breath, and began reviewing the morning’s progress. Between work and mundane errands the day had flown by with very little writing or thinking. It had been a busy day, but not a fruitful one. Yet. He felt determined to make the most of the dwindling hours.

He set to his work methodically, paragraph by paragraph, noting potential edits and shaky ideas on a notepad. He would return to review those points on a second pass. A few pages in, he stretched and checked his phone finding to his frustration that only fifteen minutes had passed. His chest tightened. Taking a deep breath, he rubbed his eyes and rose, moving towards the fireplace. He leaned against the mantel, bare toes flexing in the thick hearth rug, and poked at the fading log absent-mindedly. Tycho Brahe stared at him from his perch at the other end of the fireplace. The cat rose and stretched languidly before walking towards Loki. He sat down in front of him, a paw partially resting on his hand.

“Thank you. I think.” He smiled at the cat and stroked his furry head.

_dingding_

Loki turned to just catch the alert banner disappear from his phone. He exhaled, hung the brass fire poker on the rack, and walked back to his desk. He turned on his phone and found a message from Thor.

_{I miss you, too}_

“Oh, thank God,” he exhaled with relief towards the ceiling. 

*** 

Thor sank into his bed. He turned his phone off as soon as he saw Loki had read his text. He did miss him, deeply. But he couldn’t deal with him right now. The last couple days with little to no contact had not been easy exactly, but he’d been so busy that pushing Loki to the back of his mind was easier than he expected. Until evening came. Loki was the only one he wanted to talk at the end of the day and Thor felt his absence keenly then. He wanted to hear about his day, about the library, about his advisor. And he wanted to share about his own, about his students, about his research. He wanted to just be with Loki. Perhaps he was being a little stubborn himself. But he felt Loki wanted everything on his terms with no compromises and that’s not the kind of relationship he wanted. He bristled slightly just thinking about their last couple conversations, Loki’s coldness, his aloofness. So Thor went silent for a couple days to help sort out his own mind and heart. At least that’s what he told himself he was doing. Maybe it was a little immature, but Loki wasn’t the only one who might benefit from some distance.

Thor woke to a vicious wind buffeting his poorly sealed bedroom window. The curtains swayed gently in the half-light of his bedside lamp. The clock showed just past 4 AM. He realized he was thirsty and he had to pee, an early morning conflict that always made him chuckle, so he shuffled to the bathroom first then headed to the kitchen. Habitually flipping on the hallway light, he noticed Fandral’s open bedroom door though he didn’t appear to be home. Then he saw something on the floor just inside the front door, a piece of paper? Had he dropped something earlier? When he knelt down to grab it he finally recognized his name written on the very nice envelope in an elegant hand he immediately recognized.

He held his breath, slid his finger under the envelope flap, and cracked the seal.

***

Loki woke to a sharp pain in his neck from falling asleep on the couch in a ridiculously awkward position. He heard and felt his phone buzz with a text alert and dug around until he finally found it between the cushions. Four missed messages. Four. All from Thor.

_{Loki. Call me as soon as you get this. Call me.}_

_{I loved it.}_

_{I love you.}_

_{Call me.}_

Loki smiled and stretched and dialed Thor’s cell.

 

“Good morning,” Thor answered on the first ring.

“Good morning, Thor,” Loki purred.

“Can you take today off?”

“Well...probably yes.” He couldn’t really, not from writing. He was still far behind schedule, but...he would.

“I can call in sick today if you can. And I would like that. Alot. If you would too.” Thor fumbled a bit, which brought a soft smile to Loki’s face.

“Well, okay then.” He heard Thor exhale with relief or was that anticipation? Either way Loki’s heartbeat quickened at the sound. “Shall I come to you or--?”

“Come to me. Whenever you can. And Loki? Bring your calligraphy pens.”


	10. Chapter 10

Thor hummed softly as Loki finished a flourish on his right shoulder. The inky brush tip pen tickled as it swiped softly over his sensitive skin. It felt like hours had passed since Loki first arrived with pen roll in hand and a case of delicately wrapped inks nestled in his bag. And it might even be true for all Thor knew. He was not watching the clock. He was also not ashamed to admit he sobbed a tiny bit at the hand-lettered poem Loki had slipped under the door in the wee hours of the morning. Thor knew little about poetry but this was a gorgeous piece filled with reverence and longing, most likely medieval considering the style and Loki’s subject expertise. Holding the fine paper in his hand, seeing Loki’s elegant script, and then reading the poem itself, brought an overwhelming need to have Loki near again as soon as possible. Despite the recent rockiness Thor recognized the poem as a peace offering, a white flag made of the finest cotton rag paper and sumptuous inks. Loki could be difficult to decode, true, but Thor had no problem reading between the lines as he held the sheet, a slight tremble in his hands. Loki missed him. He missed Loki. How had they gotten to this point in the first place he wondered? 

The answer to that question didn’t matter now as Thor’s body floated between deep relaxation and taut arousal. Loki straddled Thor’s thighs, his warmth and weight an anchor to the current moment. Every time he moved to put more ink to Thor’s back, his cock rubbed a teasing hint of wetness across Thor’s ass. And he knew a wet spot certainly grew beneath his own cock as he ground deeper into the blankets. 

Loki blew softly over the drying ink before he laid down on Thor’s back, snuggling into his neck. “Do you want to see?” Loki breathed into his ear softly.

“Mm, I do. But I also don’t want to move,” he pouted. 

“Hm,” Loki chuckled. “I might have a solution.” He rose from the bed despite Thor’s weak grumble of protest. As he stretched to grab his satchel, Thor’s eyes followed the line of lean muscle in his back down to that perfect ass. His crotch hummed at the vision and he inhaled sharply, shifting his hips deeper into the blankets. Loki turned back to the bed with his phone in hand, flushed cock jutting proudly before him.  
“See something you like?” Thor could hear the smirk in his voice before he even looked up to Loki’s face.  
“Everything.”  
“Well, answers like that will get you everything, Mr. Borson. Eventually. After some pictures. Yes?”  
“Mm. Yes.”  
Loki returned to his previous position atop Thor to snap a few pictures then flopped down on the mattress with a bounce. Thor smiled as he pushed up on an elbow and leaned over to grab the phone, stealing a soft kiss that left the small smile he so loved on Loki’s lips. He flipped through the images of his back astonished by the confident, decorative strokes framing the few lines of text that rippled across his spine. The work was mesmerizing. He could easily imagine the arabesques permanently inked across his shoulders.  
“What is the text?” he asked, lips ghosting over Loki's mouth, as he set the phone down on the nightstand.  
“Other worlds exist beyond the stars -- More tests of love are still to come.” Loki recited the lines softly, eyes closed. “Muhammad Iqbal. The opening couplet from a poem called “Beyond the Stars”. But don't think about it too much. Not right now at least. Because I still have work to do." Loki nudged Thor onto his back, a feral light in his playful, green eyes. He hissed softly at the sight of Thor's cock springing from his body as the blond settled back into the mattress, belly exposed and arms crossed behind his head.  
"I cannot wait," Thor growled.

Loki pulled another pen from the roll on the nightstand, a tapered ebony shaft with a subtle silver strand that coiled delicately from the rounded end to the nib attachment. The metal tip glinted sharp and bright in an errant shaft of light filtering through the bedroom curtains. As Loki dipped the nib into a glass jar of ink slightly bigger than one of his bottles of nail polish, he cautioned Thor. "This will probably tickle and might leave scratch lines."  
Thor raised an eyebrow in response.  
"Oh, nothing worse than I've given you before," Loki purred.  
He pulled a delicate strand of ink across Thor’s chest from the left nipple to the right, smiling as Thor gasped and his cock jumped. They both moaned when Loki shifted slightly higher up on Thor’s crotch, his balls nestling heavily at the base of Thor’s hot shaft.  
“Fuck, Loki,” Thor groaned.  
“Mm hmm. That’s next, sweetheart,” Loki mumbled distractedly as he concentrated on Thor’s chest, writing then dipping into the ink pot over and over again. They both hissed sharply each time their cocks rolled together as Loki moved to write a line of text between Thor’s pert nipples.  
“Mmmm,” Loki groaned, as he finally straightened and began to rock against Thor’s crotch lasciviously. “It. Is. Perfect,” punctuating each word with a soft thrust of his hips.

Thor peered down trying to decipher the upside down text with little success.  
“Read it to me, Loki. Please, read it to me,” he gasped. Loki writhed and swiveled, his eyes closed and head thrown back.  
“My heart knows joy,” Loki panted. “My heart. Knows joy.” He reached down and took both their cocks in his inky hand, stroking gently as Thor watched open-mouthed from the headboard. Thor thrust up into the strokes unapologetically, earning a throaty moan from Loki who flicked his thumb across both their heads, smearing the collected pearls of precum. Loki pulled, tugged, and stroked with his cool, dry hand, still rolling his balls against Thor’s sac in a wanton display of lust and desire.  
“Don’t stop,” Thor whined when Loki swapped his dry hand for the other now dripping with spit. Thor opened his eyes, sorry to have missed that maneuver but grateful for Loki’s increasing speed with the added slickness, stroking, twisting, and grinding them both closer to the edge.  
“Yes yes yes yes,” Loki chanted as his hand worked with growing roughness.  
“Fuck YES,” Thor shouted as Loki started bouncing in time with his strokes. Thor could care less if Fandral was home. He reveled in Loki’s breathy litany and added his own yelps until finally he seized, overcome by pleasure and his shuddering orgasm. Soon warmth puddled on his belly as Loki’s cum joined Thor’s before they both melted into each other’s arm and down into sleep.

**  
Thor woke to an empty bed and muffled conversation in the distance accompanied by a heavenly aroma that set his mouth watering. He noticed Loki’s satchel and jacket still heaped on the chair as he reached for his phone. 5 o’clock. He’d slept away the afternoon.

Following his nose into the kitchen he found Fandral and Loki talking cordially, much to his surprise. They were leaning against the counter eating when they noticed Thor in the doorway.

“Man, Loki makes an incredible breakfast for dinner! Did you know he was such an amazing cook? I told you he was a keeper.” Fandral punctuated his remarks with a wave of his fork before diving back into his omelette with a moan of appreciation. 

Thor and Loki shared an eyeroll before Loki turned to load a plate full of food for Thor, a small, soft smile lingering on his lips as he looked into Thor’s eyes and handed him breakfast for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thus endeth part one
> 
> I post inspiration and what-not on tumblr and would love to see you there! [ghostxforest](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ghostxforest)


	11. Chapter 11

Thor burrowed deeper into the blankets chasing the pools of warmth left by Loki's departure. Loki's bed was glorious, the mattress divine, the bedding sumptuous. In fact, Thor loved pretty much everything about Loki's apartment and once Loki finally opened the metaphorical (and literal) door into his private world theystarted spending all their time here instead of Thor's place.

In the distance, he heard Loki talking to the cat - a silly, black cat with a white tuft of fur on his chest that looked like an old man's chest hair pushing out of shirt buttons. Thor liked the cat and he especially liked seeing Loki with the cat. It seemed not long ago that Thor hadn't even known that Loki had a cat. And though there was still quite a bit of mystery surrounding Loki's, um, circumstances, Thor had realized that patience was key. He could tell Loki was trying very, very hard to open up. Even more importantly, he knew without a doubt that Loki was in love with him - that they were slapdash silly in love with each other. He could wait for the details about Loki's financial situation or his family history. He would share about his life happily, but let Loki set the pace for his own disclosures.

"Unff," Thor grunted as a frisky little ball of fur jumped on his chest on its merry way across the bed. "Well, thank you Ty. That was delightful." He reached over to scritch the little rascals's head but he bolted off the bed instead.

"His name is Tycho Brahe, Thor. Not Ty. You know how I feel about shortening his name." Somehow Loki sighed and smirked at the same time. He handed Thor a sleek wooden tray laden with plates, a bowl, and napkins, then dropped his robe to the floor, and crawled under the blankets. He looked thoroughly debauched, his lips puffy and red from Thor's ardent sucking and nibbling. At the edge of his collarbone Thor could see a hicky already beginning to deepen in color.

Loki nestled into Thor's side. "I made some sandwiches and other stuff."

"Are we eating in bed?"

"Uh huh. Oh, the small joys of being adults." Loki exhaled with satisfaction. "We get to break the rules whenever we want." He stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth - an action Thor would've previously considered unbelievably un-Loki-like.

Thor picked a sandwich from the top of a small pile not even caring what it was, completely trusting that anything Loki made would be delicious. He bit into lightly toasted sourdough slices holding crispy bacon, lettuce, and a slightly sweet tomato chutney Loki made from scratch. Thor moaned with satisfaction.

"I do love to make you moan," Loki purred as he unpaused the DVR to continue Game of Thrones where they stopped earlier, distracted by an especially steamy plot line into some steaminess of their own.

"Who do you think should get the throne?" Thor asked between sandwich bites.

"Arya. She's my favorite. She's the best." crunch crunch crunch "What?"

Thor looked at Loki with delight, eyebrows raised.

"What?" Loki asked again with a low chuckle.

"I'm just surprised. I would have never guessed Arya was your favorite."

"Oh and who is your favorite, Thor?"

"Daenerys. I love her. She should get the throne."

"And I am thoroughly unsurprised that your favorite is golden and righteous."

Thor snorted in response. "I do also love Oberyn Martell. A lot."

"Of course, you do, you're not a blind idiot. I do, too." crunch crunch crunch "That would be a satisfying threesome,"Loki whispered.

"Loki Laufeyson, you kinky bastard."

Loki winked.

When the episode ended Thor loaded the tray with empty plates and crumb-filled napkins and headed for the kitchen, ignoring Loki's weak protests that he didn't need to clear up. Tycho Brahe followed close at his heels, hopeful about a potential treat in his future no doubt. Thor switched on the kitchen light as the cat leapt to the counter. In the soft, diffused overhead light Loki's kitchen gleamed with care, select areas lit by spotlights. A butcher block counter wrapped two walls ending at a tastefully powerful stove that Loki kept immaculately clean. Above the stovetop an assortment of copper and cast iron pots and skillets hung within perfect reach of a man over 6 feet tall. Built-ins, obviously custom, kept the space perfectly organized for the very fastidious cook that lived there. But what immediately took Thor's breathe away on his first visit was the wall of cookbooks. Loki collected cookbooks from all eras and all regions.

"Some of them qualify as research," Loki explained when he found Thor brushing a row of spines with his fingertips on his first visit. "The older ones do. I was curious about the connections between recipes for cooking and Alchemical Recipes. Well, I told myself that was the interest, but I was really looking for an excuse to buy every cookbook I wanted." Thor rinsed the dishes in the deep, farm-style sink as he remembered exploring Loki’s private sanctuary so many weeks ago - the handsome living room with it’s deep l-shape couch and classic, wood burning fireplace, the formal dining room that doubled as Loki’s work space, dominated by an eight foot long black oak dining table covered with papers and books saved for a single clearing for Loki’s laptop and a couple open spaces for the few times they ate in the dining room instead of at the kitchen island.

He heard a silky swish of fabric as Loki crossed the kitchen floor. Arms wrapped around him and Loki pressed into his back, nuzzling into his neck. Thor left the rinsed dishes in the basin and turned to meet Loki’s kisses.

“I’m going to take a shower, if you care to join me. Then I should get a little bit of work done.” He kissed Thor slowly one last time before heading down the hallway. Thor watched him walk away. Then stared into the empty space in his absence, a strange little reverie holding him in his place. Everything about this moment felt enchanted.

He reached for his phone on the kitchen island to check the time and smiled at the lockscreen, a photo of the sinuous arabesque Loki had drawn on his shoulder the night he left the poem in Thor’s mail slot. It was close to four, the evening stretched out ahead with possibility. Tycho Brahe jumped from the counter to the island and sat down next to Thor, leaning ever so slightly against his arm.

“Yes?” Thor looked down into deep, golden eyes. The cat jumped to standing as Thor moved for the treat bag. He padded back and forth in figure eights and chirped expectantly. “How could I resist such a performance?” Down the hallway, Thor heard the shower sputter to life. He dropped a couple treats on the island top then turned for the bathroom, following the sound of Loki singing.

Stepping into the bathroom, he could see Loki's silhouette through the misted glass of the shower door. Thor knew he shouldn’t hold onto his news about the summer fellowship for too much longer. But things had been so great the last few weeks and he sensed the news might upset their current peace. It could wait another day, he decided, as he opened the door and Loki pulled him through the veil of steam.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little grey cloud follows Loki everywhere he goes ...

A stubborn chill clung to the panelled walls of Odin’s cluttered office. A behemoth metal desk, burdened with precarious piles of papers and journals, separated Loki from the old man like the dull blade of a battle axe. Loki surveyed the landscape before him - the paper bones of other students no doubt, he mused, though Loki had ceased to consider himself Odin's student long ago. Their tenuous, brittle relationship was more an administrative necessity than an intellectual connection. Loki was sure Odin suffered the arrangement as a particularly distasteful professional chore.

The old man cleared his throat with an assumed authority that made Loki bristle in anticipation. “It’s interesting, Loki. I am very pleased with the progress you have made despite disregarding every one of my suggestions.Your conclusions are connecting together well at last. I believe you are truly on to something here." Odin’s milky eye surveyed Loki over the rim of his glasses. "It is very good work indeed,” he concluded. Honestly, Loki cared little for his opinion anymore but he was still Loki's dissertation advisor. If he could have found a more personally agreeable match he would have switched long ago - Odin knew this. But no one else in the department could guide Loki’s more esoteric scholarly interests. And Loki knew that. Years ago, as Loki first embarked on his research, they had seemed a perfect intellectual match. Odin’s writings on alchemical allegories had long ago opened up new paths in Loki’s own work. But Odin balked as Loki’s research grew ever more interdisciplinary, weaving art history, history of science, and literary criticism into an esoteric stew.

Bitterly, Loki remembered the earliest warning signs when Odin criticized his work for being fanciful. "Too many leaps, Loki, with too few supporting arguments. You can't just string your conclusions together with magic and hope people will be enthralled by your illusions.” As their battles grew more intense, Loki withdrew to nurse a festering resentment.

“Thank you,” he replied flatly from his tense perch. He couldn’t muster the will for a battle today even if Odin served him one on a platter. Loki expected to see relief on Odin’s face followed by a perfunctory dismissal until their next appointment. Instead, he found concern. In his head, confusion battled with contempt.

“Loki are you unwell?” Odin asked. “You seem out of sorts - not at all yourself.”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Loki responded colorlessly. His usual cool demeanor during their regular check-ins was less a frosty edge today than a wet lump.

A silent, heavy moment hung between the two men.

“Well, then. Until our next meeting. Keep up the good work.” Odin watched Loki rise wearily from the chair, gather his belongings, and leave the room without a word. Over the years their meetings had regularly left him infuriated, frustrated, aggravated but this was a first, this flatness. Loki left without a word or second look, worried he would again see the concern lingering on Odin’s brow.

~*~

The silver blue sky of a later winter’s day hung over Loki’s hoodied head as he threaded his way across campus on auto-pilot. Bikes flew past on either side. Students, faculty, visitors scurried from the last thing to the next thing. Loki saw but did not see any of it. He turned a corner and stopped short, nearly colliding with Sif, who texted as she walked. She pulled short just soon enough to recognize him, eyes narrowing as she looked up.

“Loki,” she sighed. "I am so sorry. I'm rushing to get to the lab,” she explained in vain as Loki extracted an earbud with no great haste.

“Sif. I have been meaning to text you. I'm thinking of throwing Thor a surprise party,” he announced, as if almost colliding with her outside the English department had been on his to-do list. “To celebrate Thor’s fellowship award. Could you help? Bring him somewhere? I haven't figured out all of the details yet to be honest.”

“Of course. That's a great idea and he will love it. I am happy to help with the plan in any way.”

“Great. Thanks. I will be in touch.”

She watched him walk away. They were not friends by any stretch of the imagination but she could sense that something was off. Loki, not the warmest with all but a very few people at the best of times, seemed completely disconnected.

~*~

The library hummed with the low-grade anxiety of stressed students hustling to complete the research they had left until the absolute last minute. Emergency citation checking and frantic bibliography compilation were the order of the day. This time of year library staff did more hand-holding than actual research assistance. Frigga would tell you the graduate students were worse than the undergrads if you let her get started.

She swiveled in the reference desk chair as Loki pushed through the department’s double doors. He steeled himself for her not-at-all subtle concern. The internal battle to not pry had been written all over her face for the past week. In the past he had shared whatever research or advisor frustration he wrestled with and appreciated her ear and counsel. But this he could not, would not share. Sharing how hollow he felt at the prospect of Thor leaving him for an entire summer would make it even more real. Sharing could flood that hollow place with the pain and fear he refused to acknowledge. Sharing would make it harder to ignore the growing, dull ache of caring, of feeling like a fool for ever letting himself care in the first place.

“Loki. Hello. How are you today?”  
“I'm,” he paused, “okay.”  
“Hm. I am almost, but not quite, convinced.” He gave her a slight smile and disappeared into the staff only area behind the reading room before she gathered up the nerve to finally dig deeper.

“Hi Lo,” Skadi chirped cheerily from behind a book truck of manuscript boxes. He gave her a silent nod. Odin’s concern he could ignore. Frigga’s concern he could dodge for a while. Skadi’s concern … he had to avoid at all costs. He could hear her grumbling sarcastically as he made his way to the staff lounge. He just couldn’t. He didn’t have the energy. All he could handle right now was work. He had to save every ounce of even mild cheer he could muster for home, for Thor. He could not let Thor see how much his heart ached.

~*~

“Hey! How was your day? Sif told me she almost plowed right into you earlier.” Loki could hear Thor drop his backpack, step out of his shoes, and shrug off his jacket. He didn’t even need to turn his head to picture the now familiar homecoming routine that culminated with Thor placing a single kiss on the crown of Loki’s head.

“Hm,” Loki hummed.  
“Hm? Is that how your day was?" Thor called teasingly from the kitchen, bracketed by the sound of the refrigerator opening and closing. Life had quickly gotten downright domestic since Loki had given Thor a key to his home. He was here more than he was at his own place anyway, not that Loki could blame him on that count.

Thor took his usual seat across from him at the dining room table. “Whatever you have in the oven smells delicious."

“Roasted lemon and oregano chicken thighs. Enough for leftovers for lunch even if you eat to bursting tonight.” Thor chuckled in response. How Loki loved that sound. He looked up to find Thor, laptop closed before him, gazing at him with so much love it made his stomach twist and his heart soar simultaneously.

Oh well, on with the show...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to just dive into the angst but it took a lot longer to wade through than expected. Thanks so much to everyone for your patience. And believe me, your comments are motivators! xxoo


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are cordially invited to a party...

“SURPRISE!"  
“Holy shit!” Thor froze inside the entryway, hand held to his chest as if his heart might leap from his body. When he caught his breath he saw Sif, Fandral, Jane, Heimdall, Hogun, Steve, Tony, and Loki’s friend, Skadi, gathered in Loki’s living room, bright smiles and laughing eyes on every single face. Over their heads fluttered a banner reading “God of Weather” in scarlet red letters.

“Are you going to move anytime soon?” Loki whispered into his ear. And now it all became clear. Loki had carefully engineered this event, had been plotting with his friends and colleagues for who knew how long since Thor had finally shared the news of his summer fellowship. Loki, his boyfriend, had planned a surprise party for him. Thor spun in the entryway and pulled Loki into a deep, passionate kiss, the catcalls of their friends rising in approval at the display. Pulling back, he held Loki’s face gently in his hands and whispered softly, “I love you, Loki. This is awesome."  
Loki smirked, but the small roll of his eyes could not dim the clear glimmer of delight. “Well, I can’t take sole credit. I did have a little bit of help.” He pushed Thor backwards into the living room playfully.  
“This is AMAZING,” Thor roared, arms stretched wide and eyes glistening. “Thank you all so much. I don’t know what to say. I’m a little speechl-”  
“No speeches until after food, Thor,” Loki interrupted.  
“Hear hear. The delicious aromas have been torture,” Fandral groaned. Behind his friends, the dining room table came into focus and Thor saw platters piled with a variety of finger foods: savory pastries, mini pizzas, finger sandwiches, dips, cheeses, and crackers. All homemade no doubt. Loki’s urgent need to spend all of Saturday on “research and writing” suddenly made sense. His friends held back self-conciously until Thor finally bellowed,” Let’s eat!"

Food disappeared. Drinks flowed. Hours passed while Thor talked excitedly about his travel prep, the complicated technical logistics, his hopes for the other fellows, his wishes for cooperative weather. He tried to keep Loki close, throwing a meaty arm over his shoulders, pulling him into the conversation over the platter of mini-calzones. But Loki would eventually slip away into the background to clear empty bottles, refill wine glasses, surreptitiously press water into empty hands. This was Thor’s night with his friends, Loki was just the provider.

He found Skadi in the kitchen, scraping plates before rinsing them quickly and placing them in the dishwasher. With her help, the kitchen was surprisingly tidy. The recycling loomed precariously in the corner, but the counters were clear and the sink empty.

“Fandral was admiring the champagne in the little fridge and talking up his prowess at making French 75s. He said he could show me 'how it’s done'." Skadi turned to Loki with a saucy smirk and snort.  
“I am sure he did. And I bet you could show him more than he bargained for, long-distance romance be damned,” Loki leaned against the counter and wondered where his cat had hidden away, and if he could find him and curl in there, too.  
“Why are you in here instead of out there perched haughtily on your boyfriend/Adonis’ lap? I got it covered in here Lokes. I won’t leave you in knee high in dirty, fancy platters and crystal goblets."  
“Skadi,” he rolled his eyes and ignored the playful jabs, “you are not the hired help - though I do thank you for being so helpful. Go enjoy yourself. Flirt with Fandral. Small talk with Jane. Bond with Hogun. Eat."  
Loki recognized the scowl that meant a Skadi-lecture was brewing, but it was preempted but the entrance of a jolly Fandral. It was too soon to tell if Loki was grateful for the interruption or not.  
“Loki. Stupendous party. Your place is incredible. No wonder I rarely see Thor at home anymore. I may have to hang out here more, too.” He gave Loki a hearty pat on the back.  
He mustered as much warmth as he could manage. “Thank you, Fandral."  
“Did I see a fire pit outside?” Fandral asked with forced coyness.  
“Indeed. If you’re feeling hale and hearty, please, be my guest and start a fire. I can bring some wood and kindling from the garage.”

Loki stepped out into the back garden with a canvas satchel full of fire making supplies and found Fandral wiping dew off the patio chairs.  
“Just a little damp, but all taken care of now. So, for the fire making.” He rubbed his hands together with glee and took a deep breathe.  
_"Some say the world will end in fire,_  
_Some say in ice._  
_From what I’ve tasted of desire_  
_I hold with those who favor fire."_  
Loki eyed Fandral with a raised eyebrow as he took the kindling and logs, obviously pleased with his own spontaneous recitation skills. “A Robert Frost poem, of course,” Fandral finally said.  
Loki hummed. “Yes. But only the first part. It continues:  
_But if it had to perish twice,_  
_I think I know enough of hate_  
_To say that for destruction ice_  
_Is also great_  
_And would suffice.”_  
“Ahhhhhhh hahaha, Loki!” Fandral clapped him on the back. “I forget that poetry is also your game in some respects."  
“It is looking downright chummy out here.” Sif stepped into the chilly night and slid the glass door closed, Loki could hear Thor’s laugh in the distance. She pulled her jacket tight to her torso, burrowed her chin into her scarf and scanned the sky. It was clear enough to see stars, the kind of night that led to constellation gazing and story-telling under the skylight in Loki's bedroom. But probably not tonight.

Sif and Fandral set straight to fire making as if they had done this together for years and years. Maybe they have, Loki mused. He was never really curious enough to ask Thor about his friends or their shared history. The flames grew quickly, bouncing shadows across the brick walls and reflecting in the four curious eyes now trained on Loki.  
“Sit down, Loki. You definitely deserve to relax after this success.” Sif patted the cushion to her right. Fandral had settled in on her left and produced four beer bottles from the inner pockets of peacoat with a flourish.  
He popped the caps on three and passed the bottles. “Not quite the gorgeous champagne I saw waiting in your bar fridge. But good enough for a toast: to love and comfort and bright futures - to Thor and Loki."  
“To Thor and Loki,” Sif echoed.  
“To Thor.”  
They sipped beers in silence as the fire crackled and danced. The bustle of the last three days finally settled heavily on Loki’s shoulders and morphed into a pulsing ache at the base of his spine. He contemplated heading inside but Sif spoke before he could stand.  
“I can’t believe Thor ever goes back to that shack he shares with Fandral after seeing your place."  
“Well, no offense taken, friend.” Fandral huffed. “Though to be honest, I can’t believe it either. But I do understand that Loki needs his own space and solitude. I’m sure Thor would happily decamp over here otherwise."  
“What a strange thing to say,” Loki mused. “Of course, I’m happy to have Thor here as often as he wants."  
“Oh no, Loki. I didn’t mean anything by that. Just that Thor has mentioned that you’re trying to focus on publishing and your dissertation research and what would you do with that big blond hulk constantly in your w- dammit I should just shut up.” Sif shook her head and rolled her eyes.  
“Forgive him. His gift for charm obviously decreases in direct correlation to his alcohol intake. I’m surprised you ever do well with the ladies, Fanny."  
“There is charm and then there is...chaaaaaarm."  
The patio door slid open and Skadi and Thor stepped out into the chilly night.  
“Good night everyone,” Skadi chimed. “It was lovely to meet you all.”  
Loki stood as Sif and Fandral echoed Skadi’s “good night”.  
“I think Hogun and the others are heading out soon, too,” Thor reported as he moved over to the fire pit, squeezing Loki’s arm as he passed by to see Skadi out.

Heavy, stuffy air enveloped Loki as he stepped through the sliding glass door and into the house. The general mood matched the air, too - sedate bordering on sleepy. Around the room people were looking at the time, gathering their things, and slipping into coats.  
“I had a lot of fun, Loki. Thor’s friends are nice.” Skadi gave him a smirk and a side eye as she took his arm.  
“Well, I’m happy to hear that you socialized in between being the scullery maid. Thank you for being here. You’re a better friend than I deserve."  
“That is most definitely the truth!” She crowed. “But you make up for it in excellent doggy bags.” Skadi gently patted the foil covered plate in her arms. “I’ll bring the plate to work.” She smiled, winked, and turned towards the door. “Good party, Lo. Good party."

After all the goodbyes were finally said close to an hour later, Thor pulled Loki into his arms and then slowly brought him down to the couch. In the periphery, Loki could see the glow of the last stubborn embers in the fire pit and the stealthy shadow of Tycho Brahe slipping into the kitchen. Thor pulled a tender hand across his nape and freed his hair from the now messy ponytail. Loki closed his eyes, as Thor pulled his fingers through the tangles slowly - his huge hands were always so surprisingly gentle.  
“Lo.” Thor turned Loki’s head with a gentle finger under his chin. “What’s wrong, Lo?"  
Loki sighed. That small smile came to his lips, but nowhere near his eyes.  
“I love you, Thor. I’m just tired."


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 0-to pissed-off in 2 seconds flat

“We have gotten official looking mail.” Fandral waved an envelope as he dropped his bag to the floor, shrugging out of his rain dappled trench coat. Thor looked up from his spot at the dining room table. He had scarcely moved all morning, not that he had been especially productive. He had compiled new data (glorified data entry, if he were entirely honest), tracked the current storm as it approached, drank a mediocre pot of coffee, and been generally distracted by the smallest tangent that flittered into his mind.

“What makes it look official?”  
“Well, it’s not a bill. Or junk mail. It’s addressed to both of us. And it’s from the property manager."  
“What did you do?” Thor chuckled.  
“What did I do? What about you, Mr. Perfect?” Fandral retorted with mock offense. He tore open the envelope. “Oh. Shit."  
“Well?"  
“Owner eviction. We have to move at the end of June. Dammit."  
“Oh shit."  
“At least we have three months to find a new place.” Fandral flopped down on the couch. “Unless you move in with Loki before that. Which I would understand completely, by the way. Then I’ll figure out something else, I guess.” Fandral’s voice trailed off thoughtfully. In the ensuing silence, Thor could hear the rain and his own mind churning away.  
“It’s like something bad has to happen to balance out any good that happens,” Thor mused. "Get fellowship. Lose house. Can’t have it all be good.” He pushed back from the table with a sigh and picked up the letter to read for himself. There it all was in black printer ink on uninspiring generic office paper - the announcement, the reason, the deadline - under the property manager’s two-bit letter head. It wasn’t the greatest house, true. It had only been minimally maintained since they had moved in and wasn’t even in tip-top shape to being with, which wasn't entirely surprising for a rental property in a college town. The plumbing was unreliable. The insulation was close to non-existent which left them with inefficient cooling during the hot summer months and terrible drafts throughout the winter. And the kitchen could be better, as he had been constantly reminded for the first three months of his relationship with Loki. They could probably find a much better situation in the next three months, but Thor didn’t know how he could find the time. It was one more thing to deal with, he thought darkly, and his plate already felt precariously full. How could he balance a house search along side his research, teaching, preparations for his summer away, and Loki.

His heart sank a little at the thought of Loki. Something was up with him but Thor couldn’t quite put his finger on it — was blind to any issues between them and Loki was never forthcoming even at the very best of times. Loki’s moods had become more unpredictable than the early spring weather and their life together had been full of emotional ups and downs since the surprise party. The resulting sigh did not pass unnoticed in the quiet living room.

“What’s bothering you? What more than the letter?” Fandral asked, laying a hand on Thor’s shoulder. “It’s never great timing to get evicted, but we can manage this."  
“You mentioned Loki before, so now I’m thinking about him,” he said with another sigh. “I won’t bore you with the details - hell, I don’t even know if I know what the details are! But that is what’s bothering me, or worrying me. Maybe confusing me? Loki. So…surprise, I guess.” He punctuated his thoughts with half-hearted jazz hands.  
Fandral chuckled. “Relieve yourself of this worry, my friend. Unburden your troubled mind. Isn’t that what I’m here for after all?” He flopped down on the worn sofa and kicked off his shoes.  
“I don’t know that I agree with that, but, in a nutshell, he’s been really distant since the party, more and more each day it feels like. I don’t know if the party triggered something, or if I was supposed to do something in exchange for him, or…well, I don’t know what. But there’s been a change and not for the better. I think he’s trying to hide that something’s bothering him, but he’s doing a crappy job."  
“Hm,” Fandral hummed.  
“Did you notice anything that night? Did he say anything out at the fire with you and Sif?"  
“I honestly don’t remember anything, but I don’t think he said more than three words before you came out. That didn’t seem especially out of a character for him, so I didn’t give it a second thought. I know this is a crazy notion, but I don’t suppose you’ve asked him if something’s wrong."  
“Heh. Yes, Sif, I have. And he always always says nothing every single time and then gets even pricklier, if you can imagine that."  
“I kind of can and I hope I never see that in person. I’m not an enormous help when it comes to reading boyfriends. But, I can get you a beer and try to distract you with inane chatter.” He rose and made his way into the kitchen. “Would you like academic gossip or tales of attractive coeds?"

... 

With a hoist and a twist Thor flipped positions sending Loki to the mattress with more force than grace. Loki answered with a less than enthused grunt and pulled Thor back between his thighs, long legs folding up until his heels bounced against Thor’s ass with each thrust. They pressed and tugged and pulled and tussled their way to separate climaxes. Their bodies may have been there for each other, but not much else. The rest was disconnection - two bodies staying two separate bodies.

Thor rolled onto his side after a moment. His breathing had softened to its normal rhythm, his heartbeat slowed to a moderate rate. Beside him Loki lay peacefully, eyes closed, one arm above his head, fingers wrapped around a brass rod in the headboard. A pinky tapped at the metal distractedly. Thor sat up slowly.  
“Where are you going?"  
“Wash. And get a washcloth for you. Before…you know.” He heard Loki chuckled as he shuffled into the bathroom. Tycho Brahe followed optimistically, just in case Thor decided to make a detour for cat treats. He didn’t though, much to the cat’s disappointment.  
When Thor returned to the bedroom, Loki stretched and groaned. He reached out for the washcloth, but Thor motioned for him to lay back.  
“God, I am tired,” Loki exhaled.  
“Sorry I was so distracted tonight,” Thor mumbled. Loki flinched at the touch of the already cool wet cloth to his belly.  
“Was that not everything you wanted it to be?” Thor looked up from his task with a frown. “I’m kidding, Thor,” Loki soothed. “It was fine. It can’t always be five stars, fireworks, celestial visions, and angelic choirs.”  
Thor snorted. “Well, we’ve been more in tune with each other that’s for sure. I guess that’s all I was really thinking."  
“Okay."  
“Okay?"  
“What do you want me to say, Thor.” He sat up. He turned to Thor with a look of sappy comfort and concern on his face. “It’s okay baby,” he simpered. “We’ll fuck each other so much better next time. I wuv you even when your dick is uninspiring.”  
“What the fuck, Loki? Why are you mad at me?” Thor threw the washcloth to the floor, just missing Snape.  
“I’m not mad at you,” Loki answered, a note of surprise in response.  
“Then what is going on with you? You’ve been so cold and I just don’t know what I’ve done wrong.” Thor was up off the bed now, pacing. Loki, in contrast, sat preternaturally still on the bed, legs crossed, composed.  
“Well. I am waiting to hear about my article. The editorial review process is making me anxious, but nothing more than usual.” He ticked off reasons rationally before stabbing Thor sharply. "What’s your excuse, sweetheart?”  
“Oh. Yeah. I’ve got nothing going on. My research. Planning for summer. Did you not hear me talk about the eviction? It’s almost like you don’t even care about that. And then I get to worry about what ever is going with you!” His voice rose with each sentence until finally peaking at a furious roar.  
“Oh. Don’t worry your pretty blonde head about me, lover,” Loki smirked.  
“Loki, don’t do that! Don’t shut me out with sarcasm when I’m trying to talk to you!"  
“No. You are yelling at me. Thor.” He could see Loki’s jaw clench as he chose his words carefully. It was infuriating. This constant need for control, for secrecy, for distance was not the relationship Thor wanted. He loved Loki. He did. But right now he needed more.  
How had they gotten to this place again?  
Loki sat still on the bed the only sign that he was in anyway affected by this quick escalation to conflict was the audible exhaling through his nose and the visibly clenching muscle in his jaw. Thor had stopped pacing and simply stood at full height at the foot of the bed. Looking at Loki staring back at him, green eyes glittering with anger, he suddenly felt his nakedness.  
“Goddamit,” Thor sighed as he stepped into the jeans he had so happily shed not long ago.  
“Leaving?” Loki watched him. He had barely moved an inch from his spot on the bed.  
“No.” Thor rubbed his face, a bone-deep weariness settling over him. “No. I just realized I was stark fucking naked and felt ridiculous."  
Loki closed his eyes and released a long, slow breath. “This isn’t working anymore is it?” He spoke so softly that Thor just barely heard the question.  
“No! No. No. No. I’m not giving up. I’m not. I just need you to be honest with me if there’s something going on. Or I need to believe you when you tell me there isn’t. I guess that’s true, too.” He sat down on the opposite corner of the bed from Loki who was now cloaked in a blanket.  
“Yeah. Maybe that’s true, too.” Loki huffed in response, a tiny smile lifted on corner of his mouth. "I’m sorry. I don’t know what I can say or what I can do that will make that easier for you. I’m giving you what I can, Thor. I just don’t know if I can give anymore. Right now. Maybe there’s more to give but I’m not there yet."  
Thor gave a small nod.  
“We have so little time before you leave,” Loki continued.  
“We have three months."  
“It will go fast. Faster than we think it will. I don’t want to fight through it. But if this is a problem that doesn’t have a solution—"  
“We'll be okay,” Thor broke in. “We’ll figure this out. Or I will figure out how to be okay."  
“And if you can’t? If this is what I can give you and you want more - again - maybe we’re being fools?"  
“I don’t mind being a fool for a few more months."  
Loki’s forehead crinkled. “I think that’s charming…? But I’m not sure."  
“It’s suppose to be reassuring. I think?” They both chuckled.  
“Okay,” Loki said.  
“Okay.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sif and Skadi lend ears

Thor’s living room could rightfully be called a disaster site. Sif picks her way around piles of books and mail and - ugh, is that a plate?- as she follows Thor towards his bedroom.  
“I don’t know how you and Fan leave like this, Thor. Honestly. I think you’re bordering on several public health violations.”  
“Come on. It’s not that bad. The problem is neither of us are here all that often. And getting an eviction letter doesn’t really inspire homemaking."  
Thor’s room was slightly better than the living room. At least in here the chaos seemed organized. One very large, very nice wheeled suitcase lay open on the bed surrounded by small piles of clothes and larger piles of reports and charts.  
“Nice bag. When did you get that?”   
“Loki. It’s Loki’s. I’m borrowing it for this trip.”   
“Things solid again on the Loki front? It seemed pretty rocky just a couple weeks ago.” She watched Thor struggle to get shampoo and conditioner into travel size bottles though he could easily just throw both of the bottles into the suitcase and be done with it. Not like he would be able to carry on this behemoth anyway.  
“Definitely better. But there’s still something off. I’ve just left off pushing. You know? Trying to to trust that he will open up to me. Eventually. Any day now. Bust wide open.” Thor chattered as he carefully aimed the conditioner spout into the neck of the small bottle.  
"Well, that doesn’t sound like you,” she laughed.  
“What? I said I would try to be patient and I’m trying to be patient."  
“Okaaaaay,” Sif said unconvincingly.  
“Yeah. I know,” Thor sighed. He threw the clear plastic bottles into a bag with toothpaste, a toothbrush, deodorant, and a comb then chucked the whole thing onto the bed. Then he lowered down onto the floor and stretched out on the rug. His bedroom window was open and the soft spring breeze fluttered though the closed curtains. “I feel like I’m doing all the trying and Loki’s just being…well… Loki. But I’m not giving up."  
“So you’ve said. Many times."  
“Well what would you do if you were in this situation?"  
“You mean, if I fell in love with someone with deep commitment and trust issues?”   
“Hmph.”  
“Thor. What do you want? If Loki could give you exactly what you want, what would that be? Do you even know?"  
She stared down at him from the bed. He couldn’t meet her gaze, so he stared past her at the ceiling, thinking of the time Loki had woven fanciful new constellations out of the specks of glitter in the acoustical ceiling tiles.  
“I just have this gut feeling that he’s keeping his feelings from me. There’s still so much I don’t know about him. He never talks about his family. There are no pictures of relatives or any other people at all at his place."  
“Yeah. I noticed that the one time I was over there for your surprise party. I was going to ask you but I guess I don’t need to now."  
“And his place. How does he afford that place. I know he works at the library, but that doesn’t pay for his place. And he’s probably got the same full paid tuition and graduate stipend that you and I have and we both know that doesn’t pay for Loki’s place even with four roommates! But he’s never offered any information about that and what am I supposed to say: hey Lo, so are you independently wealthy or what?"  
“Yeah. I don’t see that particulate tone going over well. But there are other ways to broach the subject.”   
“I know,” he sighed. “But I definitely sense this invisible warning sign hanging over Loki’s life, especially his past, if I even venture anywhere close to that subject area. He’s never said anything as explicit as: do no ask me about my family my money or my past. But it most definitely feels implied. And I’ve talked about my family before hoping he might reciprocate. But no such luck. Sometimes I think he just sees though every attempt."  
“But he’s not pushing you away outright, so that’s got to mean something good. He would definitely rather have you around than not."  
“Yeah. And I guess I feel the same. For now.”

...

“You’ve looked better. And you’ve looked worse.” Skadi pulled a chair up to the table Loki had commandeered in the back corner of the coffee shop.  
“I could say the same about you. But I won’t because I’m a gentleman."  
“Ha.” She carefully set an enormous bowl filled to the brim with streaming milk and a dollop of espresso onto a free parcel of space on the tiny table. Loki’s notebook took up most of the available surface, punctuated by a tiny empty espresso cup with an artfully chipped rim. The open journal page revealed more doodles and squiggles than actual words, a clear sign of Loki’s distracted mind.  
“I’m burning the candle at both ends to meet my writing goals and also spend time with my soon-to-be-departed and constantly worried-and-fretful boyfriend. You?” He noted Skadi’s eyes skimming the open notebook and closed it in response.  
“Stress, little sleep, and bad diet,” she chirped. “Thor is leaving soon, huh?"  
“In the morning. For two weeks. And if you tell me it will fly by we’re through."  
She let that slide. Having been in a long distance relationship for too many years now she understood the emptiness of such platitudes. She also did not doubt Loki’s threat, no matter how light hearted the delivery.  
“So no more fights? He’s leaving on a good note?” She asked brightly through a cloud of milk steam.  
“I’ve made sure to be my most chipper self possible.” He responded with manufactured brightness and a perky shake of his loose black locks.   
“Oh, man, I would love to see that,” she guffawed.  
“Well, It doesn’t help apparently. He’s still worried that I’m keeping something from him. I can feel him inwardly fretting and holding back questions."  
“Uh, yeah. You are keeping something from him. Basically everything! At last count he knew nothing about your family or why you left your last grad program or anything about your past at all. No wonder he thinks you’re hiding something. And of course he’s just an all around respectful guy who loves you too much to ask you point blank about any of this. I can definitely tell that you’re not even telling me everything that’s going on with you now. Yeah,” she nodded in response to Loki’s slightly raised eyebrows. “Something is bothering you big time, but you think it’s all under wraps. You’re not as indiscrutible as you think, dude. So, I can understand that he’s fretting about some unknown Loki issue and telegraphing that loud and clear. You’re keeping him at a distance. Thor. The great guy who is crazy cuckoo bananas over you. So what gives? if you unload your worries to me maybe you can be lighter when you’re with him. Of course, the other option is you could come clean with him.” She took a big gulp of her now tepid cafe au lait. “Just sayin’."  
Loki pulled the pen out of the pen loop attached to his journal. He had brought his private journal, the olive green Leuchturm 1917 with the dot grid print on each page. This was his favorite place to write out non-research thinking, personal thoughts, feelings. It hadn’t gotten much use until Thor came around and complicated the quiet little life he had built inside his bubble. But now that there were complications — big, blonde, sweet, smart, gorgeous, hooooooooot, complications — he balked at the blank page. He found himself at a loss for words. How could mere organizations of letters capture the confusion and turmoil inspired by this love affair? How could any ink scribblings on paper convey the fears he was trying so very hard to ignore? In the past writing them out had only served to highlight how wrong the situation or the person in question actually was him. He did not want that. He did not want to shine a light on his feelings for Thor. He knew he could rationalize his way out of something serviceable, even something objectively good. He didn’t doubt that he could successfully do the same when deconstructing something that felt close to perfect.  
“I will admit that I am afraid to look to closely at what I am feeling. In the past, that has never ended with things working out. It has always ended with me walking away. I can see now that sometimes that was absolutely the right choice - like with my brothers, for instance. But in others… Well, there are a couple instances that I wish had turned out differently — wish that I had made a different choice when I came to that metaphorical fork in the road.” He sighed and fidgeted with the pen in his hands.  
“But Thor must be different right? I don’t even know the details of the stuff you just mentioned, but it seems that Thor is different for you. You’re not going about your Loki business as usual — which is really, really good, don’t get me wrong. But it seems like you’re choosing to bury whatever you’re afraid of instead of being open about it.” Loki opened his mouth to protest, but Skadi raised a finger and he paused. “What would you tell Thor if you weren’t afraid?"  
Loki rolled is eyes and shook his head.  
“You don’t have to tell me! No. Oh god, no, Loki. Just get clear with yourself, if you aren’t already. And if you want to practice with me…” she shrugged and batted her eyelashes.  
“Hmph,” Loki snorted. “Fair enough. It won’t kill me to admit that I — ” Skadi leaned in every so slightly as he spoke — “that, um, I’m worried he won’t want to be with me anymore when he leaves for the summer.” The words tumbled out so quickly he forgot to breathe for a moment. His eyes were also shut tight. This was excruciating, this vulnerability. “No, it may kill me and if that happens I am haunting you mercilessly.” He opened his eyes expecting to find a triumphant face split but the brightest, happiest smile. Instead, Skadi gave him a soft nod.  
“Yeah, I get that fear. It sucks. It’s not going to help for me to tell you that I can’t imagine that happening for one second because Thor is so insanely in love with you obviously. Because I can’t guarantee that. Thor can’t even guarantee that. And you can’t guarantee that things won’t change for you over the summer either.” Loki rolled his eyes again, but this time in protest at the ridiculous notion that anyone could possible replace Thor is his life. “Well, you can’t, sorry. If you share that fear you might find out that the walking ball of sunshine who is your boyfriend has similar concerns."  
Loki scowled at Skadi. He was going to have to admit that she probably had a point.  
“Damn. Am I wise or what? It’s almost like I know a thing or two about relationships! Maybe I’m in the wrong racket? Pssh - academia. Who needs it?” She waved her hand dismissively, hitting a man in the crotch as he maneuvered his way through the tightly packed bistro tables and creaky wooden chairs.  
“Oops. Sorry.” She smiled sweetly at the man, then turned and waggled her eyebrows at Loki, who smirked and shook his head.   
“Loki — one more thing before you close the book on this subject. Opening up about your family is good. It’s important. When you’re ready. You should tell Thor about your parents.” They both stared at the table for an extended moment, feeling that sad bond they shared and never discussed since learning about the other’s childhood and how much they shared. The moment was broken by the crash of a coffee cup in the distance.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor had been patient, so very patient, but Loki didn’t want to push that patience to the limit. This time he feared the limit would also be the breaking point.

Every window in the house was open to let in the fresh spring breeze. Push out the winter, Loki thought. Push it out. He even had the patio doors open. Tycho Brahe himself was sprawled in a pool of sunlight just inside the sliding glass door. The kitchen sparkled. He had been bustling in there all morning planning a special meal and doing as much before hand prep as was reasonable so he would have more time to just spend with Thor. Thor was coming home from his extended spring break trip to the southwest. It had been two weeks and now Thor was finally coming home. Finally. 

They had texted as much as feasible considering the time difference. They had skyped at least every other day. Somehow Thor’s rugged handsomeness was impossibly even more rugged and handsome over the tiny screen. He wasn’t sure if it was the southwest that so visibly agreed with Thor or his obvious excitement for the promising summer ahead of him or that Loki simply missed him — missed him deeply. Probably all three, he concluded, with a heavy emphasis on the latter.

With Thor’s absence had come clarity and resolve. Loki wanted this relationship to work out and he needed to be willing to be vulnerable if that were to really happen. Thor had been patient, so very patient, but Loki didn’t want to push that patience to the limit. This time he feared the limit would also be the breaking point. 

...

Thor turned the corner towards Loki’s place with only thoughts of that first kiss after this separation in his mind. How Loki would look when he opened the door. How Loki would look at Thor as he crossed the threshold. How Loki would feel and smell and taste as Thor pulled him into his arms and kissed him deeply. He wanted to share so much about the research project planning trip, stories about the principle investigator’s little quirks that seemed endearing now but after a month..., the two other fellows that he had the chance to meet in person and their speculation about the two who couldn’t make the trip, the funny little town that seemed straight out of an off-the-wall sitcom on FX, the desert that stretched on without seeming to stop, the night sky chock full of stars to dream on, the exotic desert flora and fauna. But all of that would wait until he kissed Loki. Nothing was as important as that much needed kiss.

Loki opened the door before Thor’s feet even hit the front door welcome mat. His raven black hair waved softly around his face. Dressed all in black, he was a vision to Thor’s lovesick mind all the way down to his black glitter nail polish. He stepped aside with a bright, full smile on his face. He was grinning. Had Thor ever seen him grin so broadly? He pulled Loki into his arms as he pushed the door closed and found his lips without delay. Words could wait. The kiss was the most important thing.

Loki walked them backwards into the living room without breaking their embrace. They kissed gently at first, soft presses of lip bordering on chaste that grew deeper, more urgent, more searching. Tongues explored. Teeth pulled. Lips sucked. Between a breath Loki whispered. “I missed you."

Thor lifted him off his feet and carried him into the bedroom. “I missed you, Loki. I have so much to tell you about but most importantly: I love you and I missed you."  
“I love you and I missed you, too.” They kissed. “More, I bet."  
“Not a competition, Lo,” he chuckled. Loki rose up to his knees on the bed, laughing as Thor reached impatiently to pull him back down.  
“Patience is a virtue, darling,” he teased.  
“An overrated one,” Thor growled in response.  
“This wasn’t what I planned to be honest,” Loki continued.  
“There was a plan? Did I ruin a plan?” He fluttered his fingers again in a vain attempt to bring Loki closer.  
“There was. It involved kissing and then some talking and then some dinner and then about sixteen to twenty hours of mind numbing, limb bruising sex."  
“Yes!” Thor sat up. "To all of that. But could we have like an hour of that sex sooner rather than later. Right now, in fact.” Loki giggled (giggled!) as Thor finally succeeded in pulling him down.  
“I do think I need to say some stuff though. Before I lose my nerve.” Loki pressed a soft kiss to Thor’s wrist, then pushed up to sit cross-legged. He took a deep breath then exhaled slowly as Thor made himself comfortable against the head board. His blue eyes had darkened with worry.  
“This sounds serious. Is everything okay?” Loki smiled at the sight of Thor’s brow wrinkled with concern. A weird reaction to be sure, but it was comforting to visibly see how much Thor cared. He reached for his hand, warm and soft.  
“It's serious and it’s not. Well, it’s not bad. For us.” He blew out a puff of air. “Okay. I have been worried that you will decide you don’t want to be with me once you leave for the summer fellowship."  
“Oh, Loki no. No. That is the farthest thing from my mind. In fact all I could think of while I was away just now was how much I wished you could come out with me to write in the desert. It’s so expansive and freeing out there.” Thor squeezed Loki’s hand tightly.  
“It’s just — this is so much for me — these feelings I have for you bring back so much childhood stuff. There are things I will tell you about my parents and my brothers, but I can’t go there now. I just live with a constant low-level fear of abandonment, of the universe pulling the rug out from under any happiness, any stability. I don’t know if there will ever be anything you can say or do that will make that go away. Or if it will ever diminish. It’s just there. And I push it away by not getting too attached. That usually works. Well, it has in the past,” he huffed softly, a small, sad smile touched his face. “But that doesn’t seem possible with you."  
Thor smiled. His heart ached for Loki, but he realized that the best thing for him to do at this moment was just listen. He laced his fingers with Loki’s as the silence surrounded them.  
“I don’t think I can say more than that today. But that is what I’ve been pushing down for the last couple months. Ever since you told me about the fellowship to be honest. So, I will try to do better — to be a better boyfriend — to be honest about my feelings when I am having them.” He crumpled to the mattress with a dramatic flourish. “But it won’t be easy and it won’t be overnight.” He burrowed his head under a pile of displaced pillows.  
Thor stroked his back softly, feeling Loki relax through the thin cotton of his favorite over-washed t-shirt. When he finally turned over, Thor smiled at the sight of creases on his cheeks and his bashful smile.  
“I love you, Lo. I am going to be here. Take all the time you need.” Loki gave him the sweetest smile as he silently mouthed the words: thank you.  
“Oh, speaking of you being here — since you brought it up.” Loki slid his hands under Thor’s t-shirt and lifted it slowly over his head. “I was thinking that while you were away this summer,” his eyes followed the invisible line his finger drew down Thor’s chest, across to tickle each rosy pink nipple, then ghosted down his torso to trace the golden line of hair that disappeared into his jeans, “you could store your stuff here. Don’t worry about finding a new place before you leave. We can figure that out later.” His fingers slowly popped open the shiny silver buttons of Thor’s fly to reveal a nest of dark blonde curls and the fleshy head of Thor’s cock just starting to wake and blush with interest. Loki licked his lips at the sight before he lifted eyes heavy with lust to meet Thor’s own.  
“I can store my stuff here?” Thor asked with a chuckle. “I don’t know how I can repay such a kindness,” his breath hitched as Loki licked into his belly button, a cool hand pressing him back down to the mattress.  
“Don’t worry about the terms of the arrangement now. We can hammer all of that out after we hammer each other."  
Thor groaned and lifted his hips as Loki tugged his jeans down his legs with a little grunt. He looked at the bedroom and sighed.  
This was an even better homecoming than he could have possibly imagined. He closed his eyes and gave himself to Loki completely.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> domestic fluff of the fluffiest kind

Thor turned in the bedroom doorway to get another look at the scene he was leaving behind. Loki had propped himself up in a nest of pillows, hair pulled back from his face and up into a messy bun. His laptop illuminated a rosy glow from a vigorous morning fuck as he started pecking away at edits to another article. 

"Has cum trickled all the way down your leg yet?" Loki grumbled in Thor’s general direction from the bed. Apparently, he didn't need to even look up to know Thor was staring. 

"Not quite," Thor chuckled

Loki shooed him away with a wave of his right hand, still focused on his laptop screen. “I beg of you please, shower already will you. Before you fuck up the rug.” He had twisted a loose tendril of hair around a finger and mouthed the end absentmindedly. How could Thor look away now?

"Love you, Lo,” he finally said with a sigh.

He heard Loki exhale as he turned for the bathroom. “Love you, too,” he replied.

Loki’s bathroom was worthy of a full color multi-page spread in one of those glossy architecture or design magazines that could still be found in dentist's and doctor’s waiting rooms around the country. He tapped a panel on the wall next to the light switch to turn on the heated floor. Even in May, the luxury of stepping out onto warm tile made the transition from steamy shower to room temperature much easier to bear. Back with Fandral, he usually stepped almost immediately into his house slippers making them a little soggy as he towel off. As he turned on the hot water, he heard music waft from the ceiling speakers. Loki had started up the latest Phoenix album, one of Thor's favorite bands. Loki claimed to only tolerate them, scoffing that their particular brand of synth-pop was not his style at all, though Thor saw his toe tap more than once when a Phoenix song came on during a random mix. True, Loki might have only turned on the audio in the bathroom for Thor, but it was thoughtful no matter what the set up - a small bit of caretaking that made Thor’s day even better.

The hot spray of water hit the base of Thor’s neck with perfectly adjusted pressure. He leaned into the stream and thought about the days stretching out before him. The extended Memorial Day weekend was fast approaching and even though Thor had been looking forward to a long, lazy weekend of barbecuing with friends and lounging in bed later than usual with Loki, it also freaked him out more than a tiny bit. It meant that May was almost over. Soon he would be packing up his belongings and leaving town, leaving Loki, for the whole summer. Not only would he pack up for the NSF trip, he would also be boxing up his things to leave the rented house he and Fandral had happily shared for almost three years now. Lately, he found himself growing nostalgic during his infrequent trips back to the rundown bungalow on the other side of campus to grab more clothes that never really made their way back into that closet. (When he went to finally box things up for the move to Loki’s house, he might just find he had done much of it bit by bit already.) Fandral was rarely there at the same time — they were like the metaphorical ships passing in the night. He would look wistfully at the beaten up couch and lounger which looked remarkably dingy now that he had grown accustomed to the finer things Loki owned. He had a hard time imagining himself sprawling out on the deep, L-shaped sofa in Loki’s living room to play games on a console hooked up to the wall-mounted LCD flat screen. Loki probably wouldn't bat an eye if he moved in a gaming system— but still — it was difficult to imagine, though Thor did like the mental image of Loki squirming on his lap as they battled virtual dragons in colorful fantastic lands together. He made a mental note to bring it up at an opportune moment.

Things had been much better between him and Loki since he returned from spring break. Since opening up about his fears of abandonment, the cracks in Loki’s armor had grown a little larger with each passing week. Thor could tell that Loki was making a tremendous effort to open up about his painful childhood: the loss of both of his parents to illness and then violence at a very young age, the bewildering experience of being shuttled from one inattentive and sometimes bitter relative to the next, having to settle into unfamiliar homes, neighborhoods, and schools on a fairly frequent basis, then finally ending up under his older brother’s guardianship which seemed at first like the best of all possible worlds but quickly became a nightmare of Dickensian proportions as Loki described it. His childhood was dogged by the constant sense that his very existence was an enormous nuisance to everyone around him from distant relatives many times removed to his own siblings. He could not shake the feeling that people were anxious to get rid of him as soon as the novelty of his presence wore off. Loki did not grow up with the stable support system that Thor had known with two loving (and in love) parents and an annoying but relatively harmless younger brother. Loki didn’t even have the network of friendships that Thor took for granted and relied on more than he could even appreciate. Instead. As a result, Loki had developed a finely tuned sense of survival and an ability to read the emotional temperature of a room as soon as her entered. Over time he constructed a massive wall to hide behind so he wouldn’t experience the painful sting of abandonment each time he made an effort to connect with another human being. 

Today, Loki was prepping for a meeting with Odin to discuss the progress of his dissertation. it was plainly evident that the news of the article's scheduled publication later in the year had lifted an enormous bitter boulder from his shoulders. Thor returned to the bedroom to find Loki had moved on to the kitchen (and much to his pleasure Phoenix could also be heard in there.) Clad only in illegally sexy pajama bottoms that clung to his fabulous ass, Loki stood over the cat who looked up at him with a challenge in his clear yellow eyes. 

“Tycho Brahe has been spoiled rotten by someone,” Loki directed the words at Thor without losing eye contact with the confident cat at his feet. Tycho Brahe’s tail twitched at the sound of his name.

“And I suppose I am the guilty party here? Did he identify me in a line-up?” Thor leaned against the door jamb not wanting to interrupt the scene in the middle of the kitchen. Thor could see bread, cold cuts, and salad fixings on the counter just waiting for Loki’s deft hand. Whatever Tycho Brahe had done had stopped Loki cold in his tracks. He still held a jar of mustard in his hand.

"I was starting to pull some things together for lunch. All of sudden I hear the strangest noise behind me. It sounded as if a small furry four-legged animal was dragging something.”

“Oh my God,” Thor sighed.

“I had to turn around to see whatever could be making that strange noise. And what do you think I found? A cat — this very cat that sits before me now — was dragging the ziplock bag of green treats across the tile toward me. Before my amazed eyes I watched him — with some considerable effort — maneuver the bag to my feet and drop it there before me with the most petulant look of demand in his big yellow eyes.” Finally, Loki looked up to meet Thor’s chuckling face. Having won the staring stand off, Tycho Brahe made a victory dance of sorts, of winding in and around Loki’s legs happily and somewhat haughtily.

“He did not,” Thor gasped in dramatic surprise.

“He most certainly did. It is almost as if he has been trained to expect a treat or two whenever someone comes into the kitchen. I have been noticing it more and more over the last three or four weeks.” He sauntered over to Thor, a smirk on his lips and a bemused twinkle in his eyes.

“You haven’t noticed anything of the sort,” Thor countered.

Loki slipped his arms around Thor’s waist. The jar of mustard was cool against Thor’s bare back. “It seems to coincide with your return and frequent visits. I am simply looking at the evidence and drawing a rational conclusion.”

“A few Greenie treats every so often isn’t going to hurt him,” Thor admitted.

“Aaaaahhh hhha hahh — I knew it! You are spoiling him.” Loki turned back to the counter and the sandwiches.

“I like spoiling him. He's a sweet cat.” Thor wrapped his arms around Loki’s waist and pulled his back close to his chest. “I want to spoil you, too. You are also a sweet cat,” he whispered in Loki’s ear.

“That doesn’t make any sense.” He started laying out the sandwich fixings undistracted by the kisses Thor trailed down the side of his neck. “You can appreciate his sweetness without turning him into a spoiled little monster.”

“You make it sound so terrible. As you described it, it actually sounded pretty cute.”

“Cute? Only you would think that display was cute,” Loki sighed. 

“And how smart of him? He knows what he wants and he devised a way to bring attention to his needs. I don’t know — I think that’s pretty clever and should be rewarded.”

“Of course, it was clever. Of course, it was smart. He is a genius. I wouldn’t have any ordinary dull witted ball of fluff as a pet. Tycho Brahe is very special.”

“But he should be above treats?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course he should get treats. But he doesn’t need to be so vulgarly showy about it.” Thor laughed and squeezed Loki tight.   
“Do you want to eat or do you want to fondle me to distraction?”

“Yes.”

“Uh huh,” Loki laughed. “You are in an exceptionally good mood. Did you bathe in magic waters?”

“I was thinking about how I want to spoil you when you come out for a vacation at the end of summer.”

“Oh, I like this change of subject. Do continue. Please list all of the ways you plan on spoiling me on my desert adventure.”

“You need to settle on some dates so I can get some reservations taken care of. And Sif will be around so she can housesit and take care of Tycho Brahe.”

“That’s great,” he said softly. “I have never left him for more than a night. I will feel much better knowing she is here to hang out with him.”

“Wait. Really?” Thor pulled back to turn loki around to face him.

“Yes, of course. I mean I don’t think we’ll be best friends because of it, but I do like Sif and I trust her to take care of everything.”

“No no no. Not Sif. You haven’t been on a long vacation since you got Tycho Brahe? Isn’t he four years old?”

“Yep.”

“Okay - yeah, this is good. Vacation is good. Let’s get you out into nature. The cat will be so here with Sif. And I will be so happy spoiling you out in the desert. Okay?”

“Okay. I am looking forward to the desert spoilage in my future. Right now, I am looking forward to this lunch. So let’s focus, shall we?”

“Yuh huh.” Thor opened the seal on the Greenie bag and pulled out a couple treats for Tycho Brahe.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little peek into Thor's summer

Thor threw today's pile of mail on the coffee table then sat down on the hallway bench to tug off his boots. He had spent the last two days interviewing big storm survivors about their personal experiences and, most importantly, what they would like to see in an early warning system. It was heart-breaking, draining. He wasn't used to this kind of emotional interaction, though everyone said he had a knack for it. The interviewees were responsive. They opened up. They said they felt listened to when they talked with Thor like he cared about them and their stories for more than just pure data and evidence. Thor did like it — connecting with these people and hearing their stories — but he was relieved to have this part of the grant work over.

The over stuffed couch in the house the research team had rented for the summer fellows made Thor feel a little sad. Its lumpy cushions and dull navy upholstery worn shiny with use were the absolute antithesis of Loki’s aesthetic. Thor held up everything about these foreign lodgings against the comforts of home, Loki's home, and now his. He sunk down into the squishy middle with a sigh and reached for the mail. Most of it was junk mail addressed to Current Occupant. There were sales circulars for the local big grocery chain. Washed out crudely printed halftone images of bland heads of iceberg lettuce and cases of Coors and Corona beer, blue and yellow tones misregistered over black lines, flashed by as he tossed the latest edition back to the table top, destined for the recycling bin. The deals weren’t even that great the few times he did leaf through the crappy glossy pages. Nestled within another coupon foldout he finally saw the crisp corner of the rich linen envelope he now expected on a daily basis.

Thor’s daily letter in the mail was a bit of a thing with the two other occupants of the house, his roommates (the three male graduate fellows shared this one house, while the two female graduate fellows shared a modern condo in the “hip" part of the little podunk town that was much swankier in comparison).

“Somebody looooooooves you,” Bucky cooed. He turned to their other roommate, Sam. “He gets a letter from the same person every single mail day. Every. Single. Day. Damn.”

“Damn. Somebody looooooooves Thor,” Sam echoed back to Bucky. 

Thor liked these two men a lot. They all came from vastly different backgrounds socially, each from completely different parts of the country, but they brought specific research and personality strengths that would make this research project a tremendous success. Bravo to the principle investigator on her selection skills. Thor felt similarly about the female graduate fellows, Natasha and Wanda. They were blisteringly smart and tremendous fun to hang out with on their off-hours.

“My mother doesn’t even love me enough to send me an actual letter,” Bucky teased.

“But you do get a daily email from her, don’t you?” Sam cocked an eyebrow in query.

“And what if I do? You wish your mama sent you funny emails everyday.”

“Do not start with the “your mamas” dude. Not cool. Not. Cool.”

This afternoon he was the first one home and blessedly alone for this moment. He savored the privacy. It didn’t matter that a letter from home came almost every mail day. (There was the one day two weeks ago when there had been no letter only to have two delivered the next day. Much to Thor’s delight and amusement, Loki had seethed and railed against the inept mail system when Thor had told him about it in a Skype session that night — endearing.) Each letter was precious - a little piece of Loki, of Tycho Brahe (one time literally - when Loki had sent a small ball of the cat's fur), of home. The paper was unsurprisingly exquisite, eggshell white, lightly sized to retain the fibrous tooth but still keep the deep black fountain pen ink from soaking in and seeping out from the fluid calligraphic lines into clumsy blobs. 

Since Thor left for the fellowship, he and Loki had been in constant contact over text, over email, and over Skype, so the letters were not informational. No, they were purely, gloriously romantic gestures. Loki would send sketches, both visual and written, of his day, the weather, the campus, his research, library patrons, friends, the coffee shop denizens. Sometimes he sent recipes for Thor to try on his roommates. They were exquisitely illustrated and written out with incredible detail, both the steps and the grocery lists with alternate ingredients if the local grocery store inventory fell short. Thor had actually tried both with fairly decent success. The first recipe was for mushroom bourguinon that actually turned out not half bad considering the tools Thor had to work with. The second recipe was a more quotidian baked chicken milanese with potatoes and green beans that he and his roommates had already made four more times since. It was easy to prepare, assemble, and cook, thus making it perfect for a bachelor pad. All three of the roommates had now made it since Loki sent the recipe. 

“Your man needs to send more recipes like that! I am going to go back to Philly a respected scientist and a number one catch for all the fine single ladies because of that recipe alone,” Sam crowed.

And Loki did, secretly pleased that Thor’s roommates seemed so supportive of their relationship, though he would never admit that. He sent a hearty casserole recipe that might not seem appropriate for the summer, but was easy to double and thus make more than enough for dinner and leftovers for three ravenous men. He also sent a more refined recipe so the men could treat their female colleagues to a home cooked meal: a leek galette that was paired with a large fresh salad and a fresh berry tart. Natasha and Wanda were suitably impressed and wondered if Loki could send them recipes.

“Honestly,” Natasha said. “I have been focusing on formulas not recipes. It would be nice to cook something fresh for myself once in a while.”

“Agreed,” Wanda added. “Your Loki should write a cook book for graduate students.”

Thor worked the tip of his forefinger into the slight gap at the corner of the envelope's flap where the adhesive didn’t completely seal then carefully pulled up, tearing the upper crease expertly to save the beautifully written return address. He grasped the fine paper delicately between two dirty nails, it was much dustier out here than he was used to back east and he grimaced as he made a silent vow to give himself a manicure. He sat back and unfolded the paper. Loki had drawn a sweetly funny cartoon of Tycho Brahe, eyes full of mischief, tail saucily hooked in the air. Below he had printed a descriptive list of the eleven most naughty things the cat had done in the last three days. Thor chuckled as he read the domestic misdemeanors and easily read between the lines that Thor — even in his absence — was entirely to blame for Tycho Brahe's recklessness, misbehavior, and general indifference to the rules of polite society. Loki referred to the cat as a petulant ruffian and all-around scoundrel. Thor could cleary see the wink and smirk in every precisely lettered word. And he loved it. Sam and Bucky would never understand.

***

They were encouraged to relax and enjoy their weekends, but it was pretty well known that all five of the graduate fellows — enormous overachievers all — still worked, but just from home instead of at the field station. Sam would always be the first to point out that they also drank beers during their weekend work and actually made some interesting break throughs. This weekend was no different. Thor and Sam had spread out charts and area maps on the beat up dining room table. Nat and Wanda would be by later.

Bucky found his roommates hunched over some new data when he came back from a trip to the grocery store for more beer.  
“Thor. My friend! You are hiding some ink on your back!”

“Huh?” Thor turned to Bucky in confusion.

“The tattoo, man. I see a little edge of the line. I noticed it a couple days ago but forgot about it. I have a few, too. I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Honestly, I don't mean that to sound as creepy as it does. I am just always curious to see other people’s ink, if you’re willing to share. No pressure.”

“Not the smoothest, is he.” Sam rolled his eyes

Thor laughed softly. “I've only got the one, but yeah, you can see it. I've have got no issues with that.” Thor pulled off his t-shirt to reveal the graceful arabesques scrolled across his upper back. He had asked Loki to design him a tattoo based on the designs he had painted all over his back that one lovely night of reconciliation that seemed so long ago. Thinking back on it now, Thor smiled at the memory of how Loki’s eyes had glittered with delight. Within a few days he had an exquisitely inked sketch for Thor to hand over to a recommended tattoo artist an hours drive away. 

“Wow. That is not some design out of a plastic binder,” Bucky said appreciatively.

“No binder design. Nope. I asked Loki to make a design for me based on something else he had done.”

Sam whistled. “Man, is there anything that Loki can’t do? Is he some kind of sorcerer?”

“If he ever takes commissions, let me know. I have some Russian inspired designs on my wish list that I would really like tweaked.”

“Well, I wouldn’t hold my breath. But I will send along your compliments.”

“Yeah, do. It is stunning work, great design, great execution. I almost don’t want to show you my tattoos now.” 

Sam chuckled at Bucky’s obvious faux modesty. “Nah, come on Bucks. Drop your drawers and let’s see those bad boys. Or are they girls?”

“Shut your trap. You’ve got a tattoo, too. I’ve seen it when you come out of the shower.”

“Oh, have you been watching me come out of the shower?”

“You take so long I have to rush right in there so I won’t be late, thank you very much. That is how I know about your little tweety bird.”

“It is not Tweety Bird. It is a falcon. I like falcons. Sue me, Soviet iconography boy.”

They continued with their teasing, while Thor slipped his t-shirt back over his head and turned his attention back to his laptop. Bucky handed him a cold beer and pushed a bowl of tortilla chips and container of their now favorite salsa into the middle of the table. Thor smiled, grateful for the camaraderie, the ridiculous barbs and banter back and forth, and, of course, the beer.  
When he woke up his machine he saw his favorite notification of all — Loki was online.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short, sweet, and far from home

Loki stretched tall, arms high over head, fingers interlaced, palms facing skyward, feet arched and up onto his tippy toes. Groaning softly, he surveyed the scene outside the picture window. Scrub brush punctuated the flat, sandy expanse. Dark hued rocks popped amongst the low brush and the scattered cacti. In the distance, a low range of mountains peeked over the horizon, little more than glorified hills, they rose in purple solitude. Thor was right: the desert was magical. The southwest, in general, felt restorative. He stretched up another millimeter and filled his lungs.

In another room, the cottage’s wooden planks squeaked sharply. Thor was finally up and out of bed. They had spent one night in a shared cabin at the edge of Walter de Maria’s Lightning Field before moving into this little bungalow. Since arriving Loki had been waking up well before Thor, something that rarely if ever happened at home. In these quiet early moments, Loki soaked up the vision of Thor sleeping softly, safely next to him, a sight he had sorely missed for these seemingly never ending summer months. Now that the close of the season had arrived and he and Thor were finally reunited, he reveled in the sight of his Thor lost to dreams. He never had his fill, but when he did eventually grow restless he left the bed as gently as possible and made his way to the modest kitchen to do his best with coffee and breakfast, notebook in hand. 

Loki’s vacation began with a visit to Thor’s summer house which he found to be a surprisingly bittersweet experience. He felt he knew this transitory space, the occupants thrown together by chance. He had even “seen" the roommates a handful of times, the handsome, mirthful Sam and the sexy (yeah, he told Thor), brooding Bucky, when they highjacked Thor’s laptop to say “hi" to the legendary Loki (their words, not his, of course). But by the time he arrived, the house was empty of everyone but Thor. His research companions, who had now become his friends, had already departed, making their own ways back to their lives and their loved ones: Bucky to Brooklyn and his boyfriend Steve, the saintly public defender, Sam to Washington D.C. and his advanced research on drone technology for severe weather early warning systems, Natasha to San Francisco and her not-entirely clarified relationship with the universally liked Clint, and Wanda to Chicago, her twin brother and their close-knit eastern European extended family, with a promise to send Loki the family pierogi recipe as thanks for sharing his recipes with Thor’s friends through his letters. The space itself felt antiseptic with all traces of human life packed away neatly into cupboards and closets. The only things left out for use were the few linens, dishes, and cooking supplies he and Thor might need for the days before they hit the road for good. During his stay, Loki walked though the rooms trying to imagine Thor and Sam and Bucky bumping shoulders in the hallways, navigating around each other in the dining room, coordinating cooking responsibilities and other domestic chores. It was a comforting exercise. He had missed Thor so deeply during his fellowship, it was nice to see how he had been living first hand. Thor had been happy in this house, with these people, going deep into his research, and he had shared that happiness with Loki every day that he was gone through emails, texts, and Skype calls, included him in every success, every failure, every advance, and every set back. Loki had never felt so loved, so included, so appreciated in his entire life.

“Good morning, early bird,” Thor purred, his voice still rough from recent sleep. “I don't know if I'll ever get used to you waking up before me. It seems unnatural, Loki.” He stretched and yawned.

“Hmph. Well, maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks after all. Maybe the magic of your desert has transformed me into an early riser.” Loki gasped in faux shock, then turned slowly on the balls of his stockinged feet, arms spread wide to envelop Thor.

“I am sorry that we didn't see any fantastic lightning shows on our one night at the Lightning Field,” Thor said later over the empty breakfast plates. They still had steaming mugs of coffee to finish. Loki was also cold brewing grounds for ice coffees, a favorite of Thor’s for later in the day. “Or even one lousy bolt. You would think with all of those rods, we would have seen something!” Thor huffed but Loki could hear the joke between the words, even if a tiny bit of that disappointment was actually true. 

“It’s alright. You had warned me that there was no guarantee that a good storm system would go through the area while we were here. It was simply lovely on its own merit without any grand display from mother nature. Amazing, actually. Breathtaking and … well, truly a wonderful experience. All of it.” He slid his hand into Thor’s. “Thank you. And, thank the uncooperative heavens, the other site visitors were surprisingly interesting,” Loki was not lying in the least on that last count or any of the counts. 

“Yeah, they were. I was really concerned about us sharing that cottage with four strangers, but I agree — they were a pretty good group of humans. I hadn't counted on the art factor as the bigger draw, which seems funny in retrospect, I realize. I guess I just figured other people like me - you know people interested in weather - would be the biggest audience. ”

Indeed, Loki had hit it off spectacularly well with one of the women who was in an art history PhD program in Michigan focusing on the land art movement of which Lightning Field was a prime example. She considered this overnight visit to be a scholarly pilgrimage, of sorts, and Loki and Thor understood that sentiment. Her boyfriend, an elementary school chemistry teacher, had accompanied her and was a fine conversation partner for Thor, though he enjoyed the deep cuts art history lesson about land art as much as Loki did. Loki had done some shallow reading about the site and the Dia Foundation before leaving to meet Thor, but learning from a specialist was, of course, the best possible introduction. The other visitors in the house during their overnight stay were a very kind, older, culturally curious married couple. They were friendly enough but politely opted out of any more group socializing than just the brief hellos that the ragged group exchanged upon check-in at the designated pick-up point. For the most part, the three couples kept to themselves for the bulk of the evening, eating their modestly pre-packaged dinners and enjoying the solitude and eerie beauty of hundreds of metal rods strategically placed in rows across the landscape. Loki loved how the rods marched into the distance creating a mesmerizing grid, a landscape mapping of vanishing point. The works intention was never actually about attracting bolts of lightning - Loki had read that lightning strikes the field about sixty times a year on average - but he thought it charming that Thor was so hopeful. 

“Plus,” Loki continued, “I came here with you so that I could be with you. And also so you could fulfill your promise to me when we were first together about visiting a magical place that I had never heard a thing about before.”

“I love that you remember that, Lo.” Thor squeezed his hand.

“Of course, I remember. I remember everything about that night.” They sipped their coffee in comfortable silence and gazed out at their bleakly beautiful borrowed backyard. The desert itself is a sublime natural work of art, Loki mused silently. It needs no higher intention or necessary purpose beyond just being exactly what it is and no more than that: vast, serene, brutally unforgiving. How did anything survive out here under such uncompromising circumstances with no guarantee of support, he wondered? A long moment later, Loki brought himself back from his far-off musings and found Thor across the table similarly adrift it seemed. 

“I am sorry that you didn't get the lightning show you always wanted to see though, lightning boy.” He kicked Thor softly under the table. “Instead you just get me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're wrapping up now - the next and final chapter is actually more of an epilogue ... stay tuned


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party preparations on a snowy day

Thor kicked the snow off his boots with a sharp knock of each heel against the front landing step. Over night a storm had covered the front yard walkway with over a foot of fresh, fluffy snow. It was beautiful watching it fall last night through the sliding glass doors. Thor had started a fire while Loki made cocktails and they snuggled down on the couch with books and blankets and Tycho Brahe nested in between them. Perfect, Thor had thought in that moment as the first soft snowflakes lazily drifted their way down to the wood deck. He had wiggled his toes and burrowed his feet under Loki’s bottom. In response, Loki had wiggled further into the cushions. All day they had been running around frantically to finish the last necessary errands for the party tomorrow to publicly celebrate Loki’s successful completion of his PhD. At least, that was all that their friends knew at this point. Unbeknownst to them, they would also be celebrating Thor and Loki’s marriage. A few days before, the two had dressed in their best suits (Loki had actually bought Thor a gorgeous new suit as a special gift just for this occasion) and went to the quaint little city hall building to get a marriage license, say a few brief vows in front of a very kind middle aged woman with the sweetest, most endearing smile, and secretly gotten married. 

“We didn’t quite elope,” Loki hummed to Tycho Brahe when they returned to the house later that afternoon. “It was nothing quite as romantic as that. To elope would have meant some grand scheme with train tickets and hotel rooms in romantic destinations where we would swoon into each others arms and vow our everlasting devotion with breathless sighs and fluttering lashes. Believe me. There are books devoted to such things.”

Thor chuckled at Loki’s story and Tycho Brahe’s perfectly timed yawn in response.

“Yes,” Loki nodded. “Agreed. Big yawn.” He let Tycho Brahe drop to the floor with less grace than one would expect of such a sleek cat.   
“We have a smart cat-child, Thor. He knows a pulp magazine scam wedding plan when he hears it.”

“Well, that’s a little bit harsh don’t you think? Plus,” Thor wrapped his arms around Loki’s waist and pulled him flush to his chest as Tycho Brahe mewed in anticipation of a treat or two, “I know the romantic Loki that lurks inside the sarcastic shell.” Loki pulled away from him in mock offense.

“How dare you, Thor Borson hyphen Laufeyson!” 

They both burst out laughing.

“Maybe we don’t hyphenate?”

“Yeah. Maybe we should just be modern and use our own names. Or we could swap?”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Why don’t I just take your name?”

“Why do you have to take my name? Why can’t I take yours?”

They stood in the middle of the kitchen and stared at each other blankly. The cat still sat patiently at their feet. In the end they decided to keep their own names since they had both already built scholarly reputations with their given names. And why buy into the mainstream melding of being? Though Thor did like the thought behind the symbolic merging of households that a name change would represent. 

For the four days before the planned party, Thor whined about not being able to wear his wedding ring. Loki had insisted they keep it all a secret until the big reveal at the party with all of their friends. He was obviously relishing the showmanship of the whole affair, the surprise and thrill as they slipped on their rings before the assembled group. So, Thor went along with the theatrical plan that involved Thor toasting Loki’s scholarly achievements, his growing body of publications, the secured acceptance of his manuscript by the university press, and most importantly of all, the completion and acceptance of his dissertation. He would then hand it all over to Loki who would say a few words before continuing “but the thing that makes me happiest at this moment is announcing to all of you, our closest friends, our veritable family, that Thor and I have gotten married” … then Thor imagined there would be gasps and cheers and lots of hugging after he and Loki slipped the rings on each others fingers and sealed the public announcement with a kiss. 

Thor’s family already knew, he had introduced a bashful Loki to them a year ago at a large family gathering for the holidays. Much to his surprise Loki and his brother Balder had immediately hit it off, playfully teasing Thor for being righteous and earnestly good. He blustered and whined that he was being unfairly tormented, but secretly loved seeing any relationship grow between his love and his little brother. 

Loki did not introduce Thor to any of this family. But Thor had been accepted into the small group of close friends Loki considered his intimate circle: mainly Frigga and Skadi, the closest thing Loki had to a sibling relationship. Thor adored them both. Loki often complained that Thor and Skadi colluded to make him unnaturally happy, plotting movie nights and gatherings of all sorts and sizes when all he really wanted and needed to be happy was a book, a cozy fire, and snuggle time with Thor and Tycho Brahe. Other than that, the closest Loki had come to even a glimmer of family nostalgia was showing Thor a few pictures of this parents and his brothers that he kept tucked away in a box in the back of the hallway closet. 

“I’m not a complete monster, you know, Thor,” he sighed. “I do have a wounded beating heart somewhere deep in the darkest corner of my chest.”

Thor knew Loki had a much bigger heart than he was at all comfortable admitting. He saw it in his actions: in his scholarly support for Skadi and Thor and increasingly for all of Thor’s friend’s, including Fandral much to Fandral’s own surprise. He was generous with his inheritance money, covering dinners and drinks and various other treats for Thor and occasional friends - only allowing Thor to chip in for groceries which allowed him to stretch his graduate fellowship money even further than before. He completely refused any amount of money that would be considered rent. For Thor, Loki’s generosity meant a lot less financial stress in his daily life, a burden that he didn’t even realize he was shouldering until it was gone entirely. The few times he protested - out of weird sense of ego, Loki had argued - because Thor felt he had nothing to give Loki in return. 

“You are being absurd, Thor. Absurd!” he huffed. “I have more than enough money for the both of us and it allows us both breathing space to do the good work that we both want to do. Besides, I know without a doubt that if the circumstances were reversed you would absolutely do the same for me. And I would really love to hear you deny that one.” He crossed his arms. "I will wait.”

Inside the foyer, Thor shed his outer layers, carefully flicking the little bit of clinging snow out onto the front porch. The house was thick with the smell of spices and sweets, warming mulled wine, rich, creamy dips bubbling in sauce pans, flaky rolls and handmade crackers ready to be piled into baskets and onto platters. They were only expecting fifteen people at the very most, but Loki still went over board with food and drink preparations. After a couple years together, Thor now understood that Loki controlled his nerves through activity - the bustle and experimentation of cooking soothed his jitters, so to speak. You would hear no complaints from Thor on that matter. If anything, he had to spend more time at the gym and happily did as much yard work as he could in any weather just to counteract the constant delicious flow of stress-battling activity during the final months of Loki’s dissertation writing. He had told Loki to let the gardener go so he could take over the outdoor maintenance - though he did feel a slight pang of guilt for taking away even a tiny bit of the man’s source of income. In the end his waistline thanked him and he felt he was contributing to the household in a tangible way. Plus, he relished Loki’s lusty stares as he mowed, trimmed, and toiled shirtless during the summer months - a win-win scenario for everyone. Well, except the gardener.

Thor found Tycho Brahe in the kitchen, monitoring the controlled chaos from the center butcher block island.   
“You should really get down from there. You know better. I know that you know better,” Thor chided and tapped him softly on the behind.  
Thor heard activity down the hall and entered the bedroom to find Loki picking out a tie of all things, humming to himself.

“My, my, my. You are going to look spiffy.”

“Spiffy? Seriously?” Loki scoffed and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you really going full suit and tie? Wait. Am I supposed to dress up too?”

“I obviously can’t control what you wear, but I think this is a big occasion, so…”

“Can I just wear a button down shirt?”

Loki laughed. “Thor, honestly, darling. You can wear whatever you want. I just feel like dressing up a little. No pressure meant at all. Not a tiny bit.”

He turned and moved to Thor for a kiss and lingered close before pushing him away with a playful nudge.  
“Don’t start now. We don't have time. Your friends are coming Thor.”

Thor laughed. “Our friends, Lo. Our. Friends.” He pulled him close and squeezed tight promising silently to himself to never ever let him go. Ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we watch them walk hand and hand into the fluffy fluffy sunset...
> 
> Thank you all so very much for reading along with my first multi-chapter fic! It has been a thoroughly enjoyable and educational experience. I have appreciated every hit, kudo, and comment - especially those last two. Keep your eyes peeled for a few more stories with these two in the pipeline. I hope to kick off the next one very soon.


End file.
